


Gods and Monsters

by lydiaofthefallen



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avenger Reader (Marvel), Avengers Family, Canon Compliant, Dialogue Heavy, Domestic Avengers, F/M, Fix-It, Infinity Gems, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Reader Has the Reality Stone, some canon divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:00:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 90,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23556436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lydiaofthefallen/pseuds/lydiaofthefallen
Summary: "(Y/n) you must leave Thor, so that you may come home." Loki begged."I can not leave Thor. He must return home. Odin must allow him to return home.""Father has fallen into Odinsleep." Loki explained, "I am king now.""Then you can send us back!" (Y/n) said excitedly."My first act can't be to repeal the last," Loki argued, "You were not part of that act. (Y/n), please, come home. Come home so you may become my queen.""I can't leave your brother.""He's not my brother. Odin lied, he lied from our childhood." Loki's skin turned to a light blue, his eyes a dark red, "I am of Jotunheim. A monster.""You are no monster Loki," (Y/n) placed her hand on Loki's cheek, her skin burning, but no damage being done, "You, are who you choose to be. Please, send us home soon."(Y/n) kissed Loki's cold lips as her form began to disappear, "I love you."
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 60
Kudos: 258





	1. Prologue

**A/n: Spotify playlist for this story -<https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1rZg3GMoiiFUXhmaYGlXo0>**

**~*~**

"It's a girl!"

"What are those markings around her face?"

"Is she alright, what's wrong with my baby?"

"She's completely healthy, I don't understand what the markings are...Birthmarks, they must be birthmarks."

"What shall we name her Astrid?"

"(Y/n)," Astrid said surely, gently running her hand over the back marks outlining her daughter's face, "(Y/n) Carrdottir."

Everyone in the room froze as the baby suddenly stopped her quiet cries, becoming silent. Her eyes opened. The marks outlining her face glowed a bright red for a few seconds, before turning to black.

"What is wrong with our daughter?" Carr asked, not believing that the marks on her face were birthmarks anymore.

"She will be gifted in magic," Astrid decided, "The birthmarks, the glowing, that's what they mean. That's what they have to mean."

~*~

"They're glowing again Carr," Astrid said tiredly, slowly rocking the newborn in her arms, "They've been doing this since yesterday, by Odin, she was born yesterday! What is going on with our baby?"

"We'll find someone to ask," Carr looked at his sleeping daughter.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Carr looked at the door of their home, walking to open it. A man in a mainly gold outfit and large horned gold helmet stood at the threshold, patiently waiting for someone to answer. Carr immediately knew who the man was, his glowing eyes said everything.

"Heimdall," he muttered, "What brings you to a commoners home?"

"I have seen visions," Heimdall looked at the sleeping child in Astrid's arms, "Of your child, (Y/n). The markings on her face, they glow, correct? They are not birthmarks. She is meant for greatness. I have come to take her to the palace, where we can prepare her for that."

"You want to take our daughter away from us?" Astrid questioned.

"King Odin, has requested that she be taken to the palace. She needs her parents, of course, through her childhood. You are to come to the palace as well. Arguing will not help, as her future, must be secured."

"What could be so special about (Y/n)? Why was she given these markings?"

"(Y/n), is destined to possess the Reality Stone."

~*~

"Loki, Thor, you two are in so much trouble," (Y/n) yelled, running up to the two princes, "You ripped my favorite book."

"Forgive me (Y/n)," Loki bowed his head, "That was not my intention."

(Y/n) turned to Thor, waiting for his apology.

"Apologies, Lady (Y/n)," Thor grumbled.

"Good," (Y/n) smiled victoriously, "One of you is going to rule Asgard, being humble and knowing when to apologize is a start."

"And you are going to hold an infinity stone," Thor wrapped an arm around (Y/n)'s small ten year old shoulders, much to Loki's disliking, "All of us, are destined for greatness."

(Y/n) subconsciously looked at Loki, smiling, "Of course, all of us are destined for great things."

~*~

"How much are these?" (Y/n) asked, picking up two books from the market stall she was looking at.

"Five each."

(Y/n) nodded, reaching into her satchel and pulling out the money the woman had asked for, she handed it to her and took the two books. As she turned away from the stall she reached up and pulled her cape hood a bit farther over her face.

It was always calming, being able to go into Asgard without having people whispering or bowing. She wasn't royal, far from it. But Asgard knew of the girl destined to own the most powerful infinity stone.

(Y/n) left the crowded streets of Asgard and began her walk back to the palace. When she felt she was far enough away from the people she pulled down her hood. The guards at the gate opened them for her with nods.

She unbuckled her cape and draped it over her arm. Instead of entering the palace she walked to the gardens. Her fingers touched a few of her favorite flowers. Her destination was a beautiful tree towards the back. It was like a Midgardian Willow Tree, but it had different colored flowers instead of leaves.

"You went out to the market again didn't you?"

(Y/n) jumped, turning to the owner of the voice.

"I wanted some new books, I got one for you actually," she handed him one of the two books she had bought, "I know you like Midgardian culture."

Loki smiled slightly. (Y/n) turned around and finished her walk to the Flower Willow, sitting down near the trunk. Loki looked at her, silent, before sitting down next to her.

"Thank you," Loki mumbled.

(Y/n) smiled, setting down her satchel and cape. She looked over at Loki. (Y/n) had always held a flame for the Asgardian Prince. While Thor was always considered the 'better', Loki was the better in (Y/n)'s mind. He knew magic, studied, and thought through situations instead of depending on brute strength. He was always a gentleman, and, in more ways than one, was a prince. Not to mention he was very attractive.

"Of course Loki."

(Y/n) quickly looked away from Loki and down at her book, regretting putting her hair up that morning, there was now nothing to hide the blush on her cheeks. Loki took notice, smirking. He reached over and grabbed (Y/n)'s hand, bringing it up to his lips.

"You, are a goddess in my eyes, and I pray you see what I see in yours."

(Y/n) smiled slightly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up at Loki, getting lost in eyes that resembled emeralds. Loki put his other hand up to (Y/n)'s cheek, rubbing his thumb over it.

"Can I kiss you?" Loki asked quietly, (Y/n) smiled, nodding.

Loki leaned in closer to (Y/n). His lips brushed against hers slightly, before he pushed his lips against hers fully. To both of them, there was an attraction, something lasting. Something that was hard to find when you were immortal, true, unshifting love.

~*~

(Y/n) hummed a mindless tune as she picked golden apples, placing them in a small basket at her side. Once the basket was full she began to walk back to the palace, taking the path she took to get there.

"Golden apples?"

(Y/n) smiled, turning to the figure that had appeared next to her.

"Yes, well golden apple pie was my parents favorite dessert. I thought I would bake some and bring it to their graves," (Y/n) smiled sadly, remembering the day her parents died.

Her Father died from a long time illness that affected the lungs. Her Mother, with all the stress, suffered from what the Midgardians called a heart attack. They died within a week of each other.

(Y/n) destroyed the training room after her Mother died. She just needed to expel her emotions. The intensity of her feelings, the loss of control, was something she knew she could never allow to happen again. Because a wave of emotions that large would send her powers out of control when she held her Infinity Stone.

"That's very kind of you," Loki smiled, walking along with her, "May I see them with you?"

"Of course, they were always fond of you."

(Y/n) walked through the forest to a vast meadow full of colorful flowers. There, two grand stones engraved with gold resided. Loki and (Y/n) sat near the graves, disturbing the flowers around them with their weight.

(Y/n) took out the apples and several other plain baking ingredients. She waved her hand and in place of the ingredients stood two gold apple pies.

"I know you always loved gold apple pie," (Y/n)'s voice wavered, "Odin says I will receive the stone within the year. If you were here, would you be proud of me? Would you-"

(Y/n)'s voice broke. She turned to Loki, placing her head on his shoulder. Loki slowly wrapped his arms around her waist.

"They would be proud darling, we all are."

~*~

"Good morning," Loki greeted cheerfully as (Y/n) opened her eyes.

"Morning darling," she smiled.

"Today, is a day off of training and learning," Loki grabbed (Y/n)'s hand, trying to pull her out of bed, "Our day is going to be wonderful."

(Y/n) chuckled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"And where are we going today?"

"To the lake of course," Loki said as if the answer was obvious, "Thor is off with the Warriors Three and Sif today so we have the lake to ourselves."

"Yes, the lake does sound lovely," (Y/n) hummed.

(Y/n) walked to her wardrobe, finding her bathing suit and a slip to go over it.

"If you go gather some food for the lake I'll meet you in the garden," (Y/n) offered.

Loki nodded, leaving the room promptly. (Y/n) set the outfit on the bed, rubbing her eyes as she walked to the bathroom.

After finishing her normal routine in there she walked back to the main room, changing into the outfit she had set out. When she was leaving the room she nearly ran into Frigga, startling the both of them.

"Oh, dear, I was just coming to see you," Frigga smiled, "I've been speaking with you," Frigga looped her arm through (Y/n)'s and began to lead her down the hallway, "The maids have been fretting over the design for the dress you will wear to Thor's coronation."

"Oh it's nothing to fret over," (Y/n) scoffed, "If you would allow me I would be wearing my armor."

Frigga smiled. Perhaps, for any other person, they would be frightened to lose their life for the informal and sarcastic way they were talking to the Queen of Asgard, but (Y/n) was practically raised as another one of Frigga's children, so any need for formalities was gone.

"It's a special occasion and I wish you'd look nice," Frigga stated.

The two were now standing in front of the door that led to the garden. Frigga pulled (Y/n) in for a hug, confusing the girl.

"You are like a daughter to me (Y/n), you will do great things. That is why you must wear a dress."

(Y/n) chuckled, putting her hand on the handle, "Something red, in honor of Thor then. Loki and I shall return later, good day."

(Y/n) stepped from the palace into the garden, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. She spotted Loki patiently waiting under the Flower Willow, a basket on his arm.

"You look like Red Riders Hide," (Y/n) giggled as she approached.

"Red Riding Hood darling," Loki chuckled, "Not Red Riders Hide."

"I'm sorry but that was one Midgardian story I never listened to when we were children," (Y/n) stated as the two began to walk down the path to the lake, "Much to...everywhere for me."

Loki nodded in agreement. The two continued to walk in silence until they reached the lake. A glimmering blue surface that sparkled with the colors of the rainbow when the sun hit it at the right angle.

Loki set down the basket he was holding, snapping his fingers to make a blanket appear below the two. (Y/n) pulled off her slip, happily running into the warm water.

"Come on Loki," (Y/n) teasingly splashed a bit of water towards Loki.

Loki rolled his eyes, stepping into the lake. (Y/n) could feel the water around them drop in temperature as he entered. It was something (Y/n) had grown accustomed to while knowing Loki, though neither of them knew why it happened.

(Y/n) spread out her arms and fell backwards into the water, fully submerging under the water as she did so. Jumping back up once she was fully under she hit Loki with her wet hair, making him sgh in mock frustration.

(Y/n) grinned, wrapping her arms around Loki's neck and pulling him under as well.

The two stayed in the water together until their fingers began to prune. They may have been considered gods, but that didn't mean their bodies weren't able to do little mortal things.

The two wrapped towels around themselves and sat down in the grass, enjoying some of the food they had brought with them.

(Y/n) reached into the basket and noticed a small box. Curiosity getting the best of her she reached inside and took it out.

"What's this?" She asked Loki.

"You weren't supposed to see that," Loki gently took the box from (Y/n)'s hands, "I should have found a better place for it."

"What is it?"

Loki opened the box and (Y/n)'s eyes widened seeing what was inside. A beautiful, simple ring with two diamonds and an emerald. (Y/n) knew what this was. She had been dreaming of receiving one since she was a little girl.

"A ring of promise," (Y/n) whispered.

Rings of promise were similar to that of engagement rings on Asgard. They showed true love until parting of death.

"I know I'm not strong like my brother, and I don't look much like him either, but I can promise you that as long as both of us live, I shall look after you and love you like no other. And in Valhalla, I will love you still."

(Y/n) grinned, basically jumping on Loki as she showered his face in kisses.

"If you were just like Thor I wouldn't have kept you around this long," (Y/n) smirked teasingly.

"You accept then?"

"Yes, Loki, I accept."


	2. The Coronation

**Puente Antiguo, New Mexico**   
**2011**

Jane Foster flipped a few switches on her equipment, excitement filling her as she climbed up through the skylight of her car, setting up her equipment. Erik Selvig soon climbed up next to her to assist. The two looked up at the sky in anticipation.

"Wait for it," Jane prompted.

"Can I turn the radio on?" Darcy Lewis, Jane's intern, asked.

"No," Jane said immediately.

"Jane, you can't keep doing this," Selvig sighed.

Jane shook her head in disbelief, "The last seventeen occurrences have been predictable to the second."

"Jane, you're an astrophysicist, not a storm chaser."

"I'm telling you, there's a connection between these atmospheric disturbances and my research." Jane checked a few things on her computer, "I'm telling you Erik I wouldn't ask you to fly out here if I wasn't absolutely sure."

"Jane," Darcy called, "I think you want to see this."

Jane and Selvig looked out the window in shock. There was a blue circle resembling light shining through the clouds.

"What is that?" Jane questioned, going up to the skylight again.

"I thought you said it was a subtle aurora."

"Go!" Jane ordered, ducking down into the van.

Darcy sped off towards the bright light, feeling skeptical, "Get closer, yeah good one."

"Go," Jane rolled her eyes, pulling out a video camera to film what was happening.

As they got closer a loud bang resounded through the air. What seemed to be a tornado touched down. Darcy swerved the car, turning it around.

"What are you doing?" Jane asked in a panic.

"I am not dying for six college credits."

Jane grabbed the wheel, turning it back to the strange phenomenon. Thunder clapped. Jane and Darcy screamed as two figures were seen through the car window. Before they could stop, the figures were hit.

Strangely, the car was stopped abruptly, suddenly, without anyone pressing the break.  
The three got out of the car immediately. Running to the figures, a woman and a man.

"Legally that was your fault," Darcy yelled.

"Get the first aid kit," Jane bent down to the figures, "Do me a favor and don't be dead, please." She looked around for a car or anything, "Where did they come from?"

_"Questions, they've always asked questions- this race called man, on this planet they call earth. Passionately longing to know how they are connected to the heavens. In ages past, they looked to us as gods, for indeed so many times we saved them from calamity. We tried to show them how their world was but one of the Nine Realms of the Cosmos, linked to all others by the branches of Yggdrasil..."_

Yggdrasil. Immense, sprawling, like a nebula twisted into the vague shape of a tree, its branches of glowing energy stretching out into the black void of space.

_"...the World's Tree. Nine Realms in a universe of wonder, beauty, and terror that they barely comprehended. But for all their thirst for knowledge, they let our lessons fall into myth and dreams. Where did they come from? They came from us, the proudest race of warriors the Worlds have ever seen. They came from this, the greatest Realm the universe has ever known. They came...from Asgard!"_

**Tonsberg, Norway**   
**965 A.D**

_"Once, mankind accepted a single truth, that they were not alone in this universe. Some worlds, they believed was home to the Gods, others, they knew to fear."_

Villagers stopped and watched in fear as a large blue light crashed onto the edge of the island, spinning in a circle.

_"From the realm of cold, lived the Frost Giants."_

The Frost Giants held up a blue, glowing cube, destroying a viking ship. The destruction continued on to the village. It broke down all of the houses and froze all of the people.

 _"Threatening to plunge the world into a new ice_ _age_." A gold light shone down on the land, " _But humanity would not fight alone."_

King Odin faced Laufey, king of the Frost Giants. Letting out a battle cry the two sides ran towards each other, fighting for the safety of Earth.

_"Our armies drove the Frost Giants back into the heart of their own world."_

A blue, icy planet stood alone in the galaxy.

_"The cost was great, but their king was defeated, and their source of power was taken from them."_

Odin held his weapon above the throat of Laufey. His right eye was gone from the socket, a war wound that would never be healed.

_"We withdrew from the other worlds and returned home to the realm eternal. Asgard."_

A beautiful world that shone with gold and elegance appeared. The palace being the largest and most magnificent building of the entire realm.

"Here we remain as a beacon of hope. Shining out across the stars. And though we have fallen into Earth's myths and legends, it was Asgard, and it's warriors, that brought peace to the universe."

A young Thor and Loki walked on each side of their Father. They approached the source of Jontun power, the casket.

"But, the day will come when one of you will have to defend that peace."

"Do the Frost Giants still live?" Loki asked.

"When I'm king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all." Thor claimed, making a few sword swiping motions.

"A wise king, never seeks out war," Odin paused, looking at his sons, "But, he must always be ready for it."

Odin walked past the two and down the hallway. Loki and Thor shared a competitive look before running after their Father.

"I'm ready Father," Thor assured.

"So am I," Loki added.

"Only one of you will ascend to the throne. But both of you were born to be kings," Odin told the two.

"Loki, Thor," a little girl in a green dress ran towards the two, bowing for Odin, "Allfather."

"Yes (Y/n)?"

"May we please play, if the lessons are done for today?"

"Go, have fun."

The three kids ran off down the hall. Odin watched them with a small smile.

"One of them will be king, but (Y/n), is destined to hold the most dangerous infinity stone," Odi sighed, "Such a responsibility for a young innocent girl."

**1,070 Years Later**

Directly under the throne room, a gloomily lit hall. Banners hung on either side to form a corridor down the middle of the fire lit room. Giant doors opened at one end. A huge figure silhouetted against the bright light beyond walked forward.

Hammer in hand, the God of Thunder reached the end of a raised platform.

An attendant quickly handed the Prince a goblet of wine.Thor downed it quickly, throwing it into the fire.

"Another!"

Thor proceeded down the hallway, stopping in front of two large banners. From his point of view he could see the faint outlines of a girl in a dress and two great horns. As he came closer to them their figures became clearer, revealing Loki and (Y/n), talking quietly and smiling fondly at each other.

"Nervous, brother?" Loki asked.

"Have you ever known me to be nervous?"

"There was the time in Nornheim," (Y/n) smirked.

"That wasn't nerves, sister. It was the rage of battle. How else could I have fought my way through a hundred warriors and pulled us out alive?"

An attendant approached the three with another goblet of wine for Thor.

"As I recall, I was the one who veiled us in smoke to ease our escape," Loki pointed out.

"Some do battle, others just do tricks," Thor said dismissively.

(Y/n) hit Thor in the arm. The attendant stifled a laugh. Loki gestured towards the goblet of wine in his hand. Eels poured over the side of the cup, slithering over the attendant's hand. He screamed and dropped the goblet to the ground.

"Loki," Thor said scoldingly.

(Y/n) waved her hands and the illusion broke, the eels turning into spilt wine.

"Now that was just a waste of good wine," Thor sighed.

"Just a bit of fun," Loki looked over at the attendant, "Right, my friend?"

The attendant stayed silent, not knowing the correct answer to the question. Thor slipped on his winged helmet.

"Nice feathers," Loki teased.

"You don't really want to start this again, do you?"

"I was being sincere!" Loki defended.

"You're incapable of sincerity."

"Am I?" Loki questioned.

"You a very sincere," (Y/n) nudged Loki's arm with a smile.

"I've looked forward to this day as long as you have. You're my brother and my friend. Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you," Loki told Thor.

"Thank you," Thor said after searching Loki's face for any traces of a lie, "How do I look?"

"Like a king," (Y/n) assured.

The three heard the blast of the ceremonial horn.

"You go ahead," Thor prompted, "I'll be along."

Loki and (Y/n) grabbed each other's hands, walking past the banners and into the main hall.  
There, all of Asgard was gathered, ready to welcome their new king. Frigga and Odin were near the thrones, waiting for Thor to come out. The Warriors Three and Sif were waiting along the staircase up to the throne as well.

"I know you don't fight like Thor, but I quite like your tricks," (Y/n) whispered to Loki, giving him a reassuring grin.

"Where is he?" Fandral asked after a few minutes of no Thor.

"Oh dear lord, he wants to make an entrance," (Y/n) sighed.

Mjolnir flew into the hall, Thor standing behind it. The crowd erupted in cheers as Thor caught the hammer behind his back.

(Y/n) shifted in discomfort, a bad feeling blooming in her stomach. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Thor finished stirring up the crowd, kneeling in front of his Mother and Father. Odin struck Gungnir, his spear, upon the ground with a deafening boom.  
All of Asgard fell silent. (Y/n) took in a deep breath, her brows furrowing. Loki glanced over at her, his eyes filling with worry.

"Gungnir. Its aim is true, its power strong. With it I have defended Asgard and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms since the time of the Great Beginning. And though the day has come for a new King to wield his own weapon that duty remains the same. Thor Odinson, my heir, my first-born."

(Y/n) winced, looking over at Loki. The favoritism in the family was obvious.

"So long entrusted with this mighty hammer, Mjolnir. Forged in the heart of a dying star, from the sacred metal of Uru. Only one may lift it. Only one is worthy. Who wields this hammer commands the lightning and the storm. Its power has no equal, as a weapon, to destroy, or as a tool, to build. It is a fit companion for a King."

(Y/n)'s breath hitched as the bad feeling worsened, she closed her eyes momentarily, before opening them again and trying to focus on the ceremony.

"Today I entrust you with the greatest honor in all the Nine Realms. The sacred throne of Asgard. I have sacrificed much to achieve peace. So, too, must a new generation sacrifice to maintain that peace. Responsibility, duty, honor. These are not merely virtues to which we must aspire. They are essential to every soldier and to every King."

The air in the hall began to turn cold, causing the crowd to shiver simultaneously.

"Thor Odinson, do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to preserve the peace?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to cast aside all selfish ambition and pledge yourself only to the good of all the Realms?"

"I swear."

"Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you-" Odin hesitated. Ice crept across the surface of the large banners around the hall, making eerie cracking noises, "Frost giants."

(Y/n) bunched up her dress in her fists, running from the hall with the others at her sides. This was the bad feeling. An attack on the castle.

The group entered the room, stopping short. Shattered and melting ice was strewn about the floor. The Destroyer stood above two charred Jotun bodies, the casket in his hands.

The Destroyer set the Casket back on its pedestal, stepping back into its place.

"The Jotuns must pay for what they've done!" Thor yelled.

"They have paid with their lives. The Destroyer did its job, and the Casket is safe. All is well."

"All is well? They broke into the Weapons Vault! If the Frost Giants had stolen even one of these relics-"

"But they didn't."

"I want to know why they-"

"The Casket of Ancient Winters belonged to the Jotuns. They believe it's their birthright."

"And if you hadn't taken it from them they would have laid waste to all the Nine Realms!"

(Y/n) watched the exchange silently, her eyes wide. Thor was quite unknowledgeable of how to rule, she had to admit it. He was chosen because he was the favorite. He needed to understand that the acts of a citizen is not the act of the nation.

"I have a truce with Laufey, the Jotun King," Odin stated.

"He just broke your truce! We must act!"

"Leave us," Odin ordered Sif and the Warriors Three.

The group exited the room. (Y/n) was always able to stay in on matters like this due to her status. Betrothed to the Prince, and future Infinity Stone holder.

"And what action would you take?"

"March into Jotunheim as you once did, teach them a lesson, break their spirits so they'll never dare try to cross our borders again!"

"You're thinking only as a warrior!" Odin scolded.

"This was an act of war!"

"It was the act of but a few, doomed to fail," Odin stated wisely.

"They got this far!" Thor motioned to the destruction.

"We will find the breach in our defenses. It will be found, and it will be sealed."

(Y/n) shared a look with Loki. They both knew how Thor was. A warrior's mind, not a king's. That was something they both hoped he would grow out of but it really didn't seem like it. While it was awful that the coronation was interrupted, perhaps it being pushed back was a good thing at the same time. Perhaps it would give Thor more time to learn.

"As King of Asgard, I would-"

"You are not King. Not yet."

Thor stared at his father for a few moments before storming out of the room, the door slamming behind him as he did so.

(Y/n) grabbed Loki's hand, leading him out of the room and after Thor. She could hear his booming footsteps not so far off from where they were. The footsteps stopped in the banquet hall. The two entered the room as Thor flipped over a table.

(Y/n) sighed, waving her hand. The table began to slowly rise into the air once again, the food that was on it rising and correcting itself as well.

(Y/n) walked over and sat next to Thor, Loki sitting on his other side. Sif, Fandral, and Hogun entered a few feet behind Volstagg as he came in search of food.

"Redecorating, are we?" Sif asked, looking at the moving table.

"I told you they'd cancel it," Hogun stated.

"We thought that was just you being your normal cheery self," Fandral stated sarcastically.

"All this food, so innocent, cast to the ground. It breaks the heart!"

"It's unwise to be in my company right now," Thor sighed.

"Who said we were wise?"

"This was to be my day of triumph," Thor looked around the empty hall.

"It will come, in time," (Y/n) assured.

"If it's any consolation, I think you're right. About the Frost Giants, about Laufey, everything," Loki said quietly, "If a few of them could penetrate the defenses of Asgard once, who's to say they won't try again. Next time with an army?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"There's nothing either of you can do without denying Odin's orders," (Y/n) pointed out.

"No! Stop there! I know that look!"

"It's the only way to ensure the safety of our borders," Thor defended.

"It's pure madness Thor!" (Y/n) exclaimed.

"Madness? What sort of madness?" Volstagg asked.

"Nothing! Thor was making a jest!" Loki lied.

"The safety of our Realm is no jest. We're going to Jotunheim."

"Thor, of all the laws of Asgard, this is one you must not break," Sif said seriously.

"This isn't like a journey to Earth, where you summon a little lightning and thunder and the mortals worship you as a god. This is Jotunheim," Fandral added.

"And if the Frost Giants don't kill you, your Father will!" Volstagg finished.

"My father fought his way into Jotunheim, defeated their armies, and took their Casket! We'd just be looking for answers. My friends, have you forgotten all that we've done together?" Thor turned to Fandral, "Who brought you into the sweet embrace of the most exotic maidens in all of Yggdrasil?"

"You did."

"Who led you into the most glorious of battles," Thor turned to Hogun and Volstagg, "And to delicacies so succulent, you thought you'd died and gone to Valhalla?"

"You did."

"And who proved wrong all who scoffed at the idea that a young maiden could be one of the fiercest warriors this Realm has ever known?"

"I did," Sif smirked.

"True. But I supported you. My friends, trust me now. We must do this."

The Warriors Three and Sif looked hesitant, but all of them trusted Thor deeply.

"Come on. You're not going to let my brother and me take all the glory, are you?"

"What?" Loki asked in shock.

"You are coming with me."

"Yes, of course! I won't let my brother march into Jotunheim alone. I will be at his side."

"And I."

"And I."

"And I. The Warriors Three fight together."

"I shall go as well," Sif sighed.

Everyone turned to look at (Y/n), who was standing to the side with her arms crossed.

"I think you are an idiot," (Y/n) said to Thor, turning to the others, "And you are idiots for following him. But I've nothing to do today so let's get on with it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Ah, first chapter, that's exciting! While the first Thor movie doesn't compare to Ragnarok, I still really enjoy it. Especially because Tom Hiddleston played Loki so well, and officially started all of our obsessions with the character.
> 
> I love hearing from you guys. Feel free to leave some kudos or a comment, it always makes my day!


	3. Jotunheim

The group left the dining hall and walked to the armoury to prepare their battle. (Y/n) snapped her fingers and added a hood and longer sleeves to her normal armour. Asgardians were more resilient to things like temperature, but that didn't mean they couldn't feel it. Especially in a place like Jotunheim.

The group migrated past the castle to the Rainbow Bridge.

"We must first find a way to get past Heimdall," Thor stated.

"He trained me, he favors me the most, I shall handle this," (Y/n) moved to the middle front of the group.

"You aren't dressed warm enough," Heimdall said before (Y/n) had the chance to say anything, "The freezing cold of Jotunheim. It will kill you all in time, even you (Y/n)."

"Heimdall may we pass?" Thor went straight to the point.

"For ages have I guarded Asgard and kept it safe from those who would do it harm. In all that time, never has an enemy slipped by my watch. Until this day. I wish to know how that happened."

"Then tell no one where we've gone until we've returned," Thor ordered.

Heimdall nodded and walked to the top of the large platform that gave way to the different realms.

(Y/n) grabbed Loki's hand, wishing for the reassuring feeling. Loki glanced over at her and gave her a reassuring smile, though she could see the nervousness in his eyes as well.

"Be warned. I will honor my sworn oath to protect this Realm as its Gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, Bifrost will remain closed to you. You'll be left to die in the cold wastes of Jotunheim."

"I have no plans to die today," Thor said confidently.

"None do." Heimdall inserted the sword into the control panel, and the Bifrost charged up.  
Heimdall inserts his sword into the control panel, and the Bifrost began to charge. He slowly turned his sword and the Bifrost shifted. Heidall plunged the sword deeper into the control panel. The Bifrost shot out of the observatory, opening the gateway to Jotunheim.

"All is ready. You may pass."

"Couldn't you just leave the bridge open for us?" Volstagg asked.

"To keep this bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim with you upon it."

"Ah. Never mind, then."

"Come on. Don't be bashful," Thor grinned, walking towards the gateway.

(Y/n) gripped Loki's hand tighter. The usual thrill of an oncoming battle wasn't present. Instead, there was a blooming feeling of dread. (Y/n) was confident in her abilities, in magic and in combat, but this was _Jotunheim_. Home of the beings they were told scary stories about when they were children.

The group was sucked into the Bifrost, arriving in Jotunheim only seconds later. Runes from the Bifrost burned into the ice around them.

"We shouldn't be here," Hogun stated as the group stared at the frozen wasteland.

"Too late now," Thor said plainly.

"Actually, it's not. We could turn right around, hop back to Asgard, share a mug by the fire. Could be nice."

Thor ignored Fandral's statement and headed off. (Yn) noticed Loki looking around, more anxious than usual.

"Perhaps we should wait," Loki suggested.

"For what?"

"To survey the enemy. To gauge their strengths and weaknesses from a distance."

"I'm liking that. Gauging, surveying. Particularly the distance part," Volstagg said nervously.

(Y/n) cleared her throat, drawing the group's attention to her.

"Considering as how I'm the only logical person in this bunch anymore, I say we quickly hurry so Thor the mighty can get the answers he so desires and we can go back to Asgard."

The group began to act on (Y/n)'s words, moving from their place on the edge of a lone cliff towards the ruins of the Jotun palace. The closer they got the colder it for as well. (Y/n) began to shake slightly, not from the cold seeing as how she was sensible enough to wear layers, but because the same feeling of dread she got at Thor's coronation only hours earlier had returned.

"Hiding. As cowards always do," Thor muttered spitefully when there was no sound of any Frost Giants.

"They're here," (Y/n) whispered, her senses screaming.

Frost Giants walked out from the shadows, surrounding the group. Their hands went to the hilts of their weapons instinctively.

"You've come a long way to die Asgardians," a voice that sounded like cracking ice itself echoed throughout the palace.

"I am Thor Odinson."

"We know who you are, Odinson. Why have you brought the stench of your blood into my world?"

"I demand answers."

Laufey stood, easily towering over the group.

"You demand?"

"How did your people get into Asgard?"

"The house of Odin is full of traitors," Laufey smirked.

"Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies," Thor yelled in anger.

"Your father is a murderer and a thief. He stole what was ours, and left our world in ruins. We have the right to reclaim the Casket. And why have you come here? To make peace? You long for battle. You crave it. I see you for what you are, Thor Odinson. Nothing but a boy, trying to prove himself a man."

"This boy has grown tired of your mockery."

Thor took a step towards Laufey. Loki stepped forward and grabbed his brother's arm, keeping him in place.

"Thor, stop and think. Look around you. We are outnumbered," he hissed.

"Know your place, brother," Thor shot back.

If they weren't in the middle of enemy territory (Y/n) would have broken Thor's nose. He didn't realize how much his words hurt Loki. All he wanted was to be his equal and Thor loved to remind him that his brother's place was below him.

"You should listen to his counsel. You know not what your actions would unleash. But I do. Go now, while I still allow it."

"We accept your gracious offer," (Y/n) sent Thor a look that said he didn't have an option in leaving or not.

"Run back home, little princess."

"Damn," Loki cursed, knowing full well the Frost Giant just made a grave mistake.

Thor chuckled, turning around and hitting the Frost Giant across the face with his hammer. The other Frost Giants sprang into action, running for the group.

(Y/n) yelped and held her hand up as a large Frost Giant swung his weapon at her. A red and gold shield that glowed brighter whenever it was hit appeared in front of her as she did so. She swung her left hand up and the Frost Giant's weapon turned against him, taking on a life of its own.

(Y/n) swung her hands in a few slapping and punching motions. She smirked as the weapon fought the Frost Giant for her. Another Frost Giant came near her and she had to extend the range her shield was in to cover all of her sides.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" She yelled, panting at the energy it took to keep up the shield around her and control the weapon.

"At least make it a challenge for me!" Thor shouted cockily. Laufey grunted in anger, looking to the side where several more, larger Frost Giants emerged.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," (Y/n) sighed to herself.

(Y/n) reached into her belt and pulled out her sword, fully prepared to fight hand to hand to save energy. Strange that fighting physically took less out of her than using magic.

A Frost Giant near her raised his fist, is hand turning into a sword made out of ice.

"Don't let them touch you," Volstagg advised.

(Y/n) rolled through the Frost Giant's legs, stabbing him in the back. (Y/n) suddenly heard Fandral yell in pain. Her head snapped to the sound. The girl gasped in shock. Running over to him she assisted Sif in un-impaling him from the large icicle.

"Thor," Sif yelled, "We must go!"

"Then go!" Thor brought down another Frost Giant.

"Thick headed oaf," (Y/n) muttered, "You're friend has been injured and all you care about is your honor."

Sif slung Fandral over her shoulder, helping him jog back to the Bifrost opening spot. The ground began to shake violently beneath the group. (Y/n) looked up, her eyes wide. A large statue was coming to life, this was larger than any Frost Giant she had ever seen.

"Run!"

(Y/n) ran along with the others as they tried to get away from the creature. (Y/n) turned her head around, panicking slightly when the creature jumped up closer to Sif than she would have liked.

The beast suddenly disappeared into a large crevice. The bad feeling had never left (Y/n)'s stomach however. The group reached the end of their path. The runes beneath them told them that this was where the Bifrost had dropped them off the first time.

"Heimdall, open the bridge!"

Nothing happened. The creature's claw landed on the end of the cliff, its face soon appearing as well. (Y/n)'s fingers twitched as she heard whispers going through her mind.

_Kill. Kill. Danger. Summon me. We shall control everything together._

(Y/n) shook her head free from the dark thoughts. She longed for her infinity stone, for the chance to finally feel like she was whole, but the thoughts that the power sent to her scared her. She knew it wasn't the stone itself, but the Aether that it had become to protect itself, but it was frightening all the same.

"Everyone stand back," (Y/n) ordered, moving to the front of the group.

"(Y/n)," Loki said in a warning tone, reaching out to grab her.

"Trust me," she stepped away from his hand.

(Y/n) held out both of her hands in front of her. She could feel sweat begin to form on her brow, before it froze due to the cold temperature.

She could feel the monsters breath on her now. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled forth all the power she could muster, sending it straight into the monster's mouth.

The monster let out a loud shriek, before falling on its side, dead.

Thor landed near the group, his weight leaving cracks in the ice beneath him. (Y/n) stumbled back and grabbed onto Loki's shoulder for support. She was more than ready for her infinity stones unlimited power.

Looking behind her she saw perhaps the entire army of the Frost Giants. They slowly neared the worn out group.

The group seemed to be as good as dead. The giants took a lumbering step towards them before the sky broke open and a deafening winny went through the air. It was Odin.

Laufey stepped forward, ice raising him up to Odin's height. The two began to talk quietly, trying to stay out of earshot of the others.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked (Y/n), wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her upright.

"Fine, I just need sleep," (Y/n) whispered, "And a break from Thor's ignorance. Seeking out war, not the thing a wise king would do."

Odin slammed his spear down on the ground. The Jotuns nearest to the spear fell back, the ones farther back quickly retreating.

"Now! We'll finish them together!" Thor said joyously.

"Silence!" Odin hissed.

The Bifrost opened, sucking the group up into the air and back to Asgard.

"Why did you bring us back?" Thor asked angrily when they arrived back in the Observatory.

"Do you realize what you've done? What you've started?" Odin ignored Thor's question, asking some of his own.

"I was protecting my home," Thor claimed.

"You cannot protect your friends. How can you hope to protect a kingdom?" Odin turned to the others, "Get him to the healing room!"

Sif, Volstagg, and Hogun hurried to take Fandral out of the Observatory and to the Healing Room.

"There won't be a kingdom to protect if you're afraid to act! Whatever the cost, the world must know that the new King of Asgard will not be held in contempt."

"That's pride and vanity that talks! Not leadership! Have you forgotten everything I've taught you? What of a warrior's patience, cunning?"

"While you wait and be patient, the Nine Realms laugh at us! The old ways are done. You'd stand giving speeches while Asgard falls!" Thor shouted.

"You're a vain, greedy, cruel boy!" Odin yelled back.

"And you are an old man and a fool!" Thor's face became red with anger.

Everything became silent at Thor's words. The room became so thick with tension that (Y/n) fet as though she could move her sword and cut through it. Loki and (Y/n) stood side by side, both of their eyes wide in shock.

"A fool, yes! I was a fool to think you were ready."

"Father-"

"Odin-"

Both (Y/n) and Loki stepped forward. Odin turned and gave an intelligible shout, stopping them in their tracks.

"Thor Odinson...You have disobeyed the express command of your King. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful Realms and innocent lives to the horrors of war," Odin slammed his spear into the control panel for the Bifrost. The Bifrost activated, destination unknown, "You are unworthy of this Realm," Odin walked to Thor, removing the Odinson crest from his armor, "Unworthy of your title," Odin ripped off Thor's cloak, "Unworthy of the loved ones you've betrayed."

Anxiety began to fill (Y/n). She had to do something, _anything_. Something in her mind was telling her to move. She had to push Thor away from the scorn of his father, not because of the sisterly love she felt for him, or the respect of what was once going to be his title. Something was coming, and she had to push him to change it.

"I hereby take from you your powers" Odin called Mjolnir into his hand, "In the name of my father...and his father before... I cast you out!"

(Y/n)'s feet moved against her own accord. She ran to Thor, grabbing onto his shoulder as he was pushed from the Bifrost.

"No!" She faintly heard Loki scream.

The last thing she saw was Odin's face of shock at her actions, it wasn't Loki being cast out, her one true love, the one who gave her the Asgardian Ring of Promise. So why? Why did she run towards Thor to seemingly push him out of the way?

The answer, even she didn't know. But as she closed her eyes, she knew she had done the right thing, her mind told her, her power told her, and the flash of red in her vision told her the Infinity Stone she was connected too approved as well.


	4. Midgard

"Do me a favor and don't be dead."

(Y/n)'s eyes snapped open and she sat up, groaning at the soreness that dominated her entire body. Her healing factor would kick in and get rid of that within the next two hours or so.

"Wow, you come from a convention or something? I'm loving the armor," one of the girls exclaimed.

Thor groaned and his eyes opened a few seconds after. He looked to his side where the other woman was standing.

"Does he need CPR or something because I know CPR," the girl who commented on (Y/n)'s armor stated.

Thor sprang up from the ground, grabbing (Y/n)'s hand and pulling her up as well.

"Hammer?" Thor called, "Hammer?"

"Thor you thick headed oaf!" (Y/n) shouted, "You lost your place in Asgard and you got us both sent to-Where are we?"

"Yeah we can tell you're hammered, pretty obvious," the first girl commented.

"Oh my God Erik looked at this," the first woman bent down, addressing the man -Erik - about the Asgardian pattern on the ground, "We have to get this before it changes."

"Jane, we need get them to a hospital," Erik stated.

"Not right now. It'll take too long. County's an hour away. We'll drop them off after we're done here. Look at them, they're fine."

"Father! Heimdall! I know you can hear me! Open the bridge!" Thor called to the skies. He turned to (Y/n) and grabbed her wrist, "You, you call Heimdall."

"Thor, if he were to do that you could be sent back to. Your Father wouldn't allow that, no matter my importance."

"Okay, you and Darcy take him to the hospital, I'll stay here."

"You expect me to leave you alone in the middle of the desert?" Erik asked.

"You! What world is this? Alfheim, Nornheim?"

"New Mexico," the other girl pulled something out that shone a red light on   
Thor.

"You dare threaten Thor with so puny a-"

The girl fired the weapon. What seemed to be small lightning shot out at Thor and hit him in the chest until he fell unconscious. (Y/n) held up her hands in a surrendering motion.

"He deserved that completely."

"What? He was freaking me out," the girl defended herself when the others looked at her strangely.

The man took Thor to their Midgardian mode of transportation, a car, and pulled Thor into the back, laying him on the floor.

"Next time you decide to taser someone, do me a favor and make sure they're already inside the truck," Erik turned to (Y/n), "And what's your name?"

"(Y/n) Cardottir," (Y/n) introduced herself, "I trust you are bringing him to medical attention, otherwise it would be quite unfortunate for you."

"Yeah the hospital," Jane assured.

"Good," (Y/n) nodded, stepping into the trunk.

"You might want to change before you go into the hospital, put away the sword," the other girl suggested.

"What is proper Midgardian garb?"

"Oh, um, here," Jane reached into a duffle bag and dug around until she pulled out some new clothes.

"Really digging the face tatoos," the other girl complimented.

"They are birthmarks, signifying my rightful ownership of the Reality Stone," (Y/n) stated in confusion. Why would her marking be mistaken for _tattoos?_

(Y/n) waved her hand and her armor disappeared, leaving her in her underclothes. She looked at the Midgardian clothes in confusion. Is this really what they wore?

She pulled on the clothes, feeling strange in the new pants and shirt. The shirt was light grey, the pants a blue material that felt scratchier than their normal leather pants. The shoes were boots like the ones she was used to, but there was no steel backing. They were laced with string and brown, stopping below her knees. Looking around the vehicle she spotted a green jacket. She reached out for it.

"Lady Jane, may I use this jacket?" She asked.

"Well actually it was a present..." Jane trailed off as (Y/n) put on the jacket, but there was still a green jacket where the other one was before, "What the hell?"

(Y/n) twirled the ring on her finger, thinking of Loki. She knew how upset he would be at the moment. She was gone, away from Asgard, and until she left Thor - unlikely considering he was the only other Asgardian on Midgard - she couldn't use the Bifrost to return home. She wanted the green jacket because Loki loved green, and it reminded her of him. A little piece of her love.

"I'm Darcy," the other girl introduced herself, "Nice to meet you weirdo."

"Thank you."

The vehicle soon pulled into a lot full of other cars. As they entered the building (Y/n) marveled at all of the strange appliances and people around her. Midgard was so different from the other realms, she dare say they were more advanced in their own special way.

Thor was wheeled away to be looked over while they stayed up front.

"Are you feeling alright?" Erik asked her.

"Perfectly normal," she assured.

"I don't know, I think she should be drug tested," Darcy cut in.

"She isn't trying to hurt us," Jane argued.

"I do not know of these 'drugs'," (Y/n) said in confusion, "But I promise you I have never touched them."

"Can I get a name for the patient?" The woman at the front desk asked.

"He said his name was Thor," Jane said unsurely.

"T-H-O-R, alright. And your relation to him."

"I've never met him before."

"Before she hit him with his car," Darcy cut in.

"I grazed him. She tasered him."

"Yes I did," Darcy said proudly.

"She was with him," Jane pointed to (Y/n).

"Alright, what's your relation to him?"

"I am betrothed to his brother," (Y/n) smiled.

"Alright, a sister-in-law," the nurse typed on her strange board, the words appearing on the screen in front of her.

(Y/n) heard a ruckus and a loud scream from down the hall, "How dare you attack a son of-"

"That's Thor alright."

~*~

"You don't think this was just a magnetic storm?" Erik asked Jane.

The group had left the hospital after Thor had been checked in, going back to Jane's lab.

(Y/n) sat in one of the extra chairs, continuously turning her ring while she stared out the window.

"I think the lensing around the edges is characteristic of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

"A what?" Darcy questioned.

"I thought you were a science major."

"Political Science," Darcy corrected.

"She was the only applicant," Jane sighed.

"An Einstein-Rosen Bridge- a _theoretical_ connection between two different points of space-time," Erik explained.

"A wormhole," Jane simplified.

"Why don't we just ask (Y/n)? Hey (Y/n)," Jane called, "What was that storm we found you in?"

"It's called the Bifrost, similar to your Einstein-Rosen Bridge. It allows those who have the power to control it to travel through different worlds and realms."

"Okay what are you on? Because you've been like this since last night."

Jane looked over the pictures on the board, seeing two figures in one of them,

"I think I left something at the hospital."

"Is it Thor?" (Y/n) asked, following after Jane, "Because being on Midgard is punishment enough, perhaps they may release him."

Darcy and Erik followed the two as they got into the car, driving to the hospital to pick up Thor. When they arrived the police were on the scene, in the room Thor was formerly in. He was gone.

"Oh my God," Darcy said before running out of the room and back to the van.

"I just lost one of my most important pieces of evidence, great," Jane sighed.

"What do we do now?" Darcy asked.

"We find him."

"Did you see what he did in there? I don't know if finding him is the best idea."

"Thor will not be violent if you do not threaten him," (Y/n) explained, "He was trained to be a warrior and he has proven that is the only way he thinks."

"We're finding him," Jane said with a tone of finality. She started the car and began to back up.

"Lady (Y-"

(Y/n) turned around and laughed loudly, Thor had just been hit by Jane's car once again.

"What?' Jane screeched, jumping out of the car and running to Thor, "I'm so sorry, I swear I'm not doing this on purpose."

"He'll be fine," (Y/n) nudged Thor with her foot, "He's survived worse than this."

~*~

(Y/n) looked over the images of the Bifrost from the Midgardian equipment. Jane had explained that they showed where there was body heat and where there wasn't, but the majority of it was red, full of life.

"You know, for a crazy homeless person, he's pretty cut."

(Y/n) looked over at Thor, emerging from the restroom shirtless. She had seen such before, during the summers spent swimming in the lake near the castle. While Thor was 'cut', Loki was better in her eyes. Less towering and nearly overbearing muscle, more natural and lean muscle. How she longed for another day at the lake with Loki. Just like the day he gave her the Asgardian ring of promise.

"Hey, excuse me," Jane ran over and took back a piece of technology from Thor's hand.

Thor looked at the shirt he was given. A name tag was placed on it.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Oh," Jane took off the nametag, "My ex. Good with patients bad with relationships. They were the only clothes I had that would fit you."

"They will suffice."

"You're welcome," Jane said when she received no thank you.

"This mortal form has grown weak, I need sustenance."

"Thor," (Y/n) smacked his arm, "All those years of endless training, manners was a course was it not? Just because they aren't royalty doesn't mean they don't deserve respect."

Thor looked at the three, "My apologies. I give my thanks, for your assistance."

"Thanks weirdo," Darcy thanked (Y/n), "You got quite the hold on this guy."

"Well some day I shall hold more power than nearly anyone in all nine realms," (Y/n) explained, "Staying on what you call 'my good side' is wise for the future."

"Very," Thor agreed, "Loki is the only one who she'll allow some ease on."

"And Loki is..."

"My betrothed, his brother."

"Of course, and where is he? He should be here right now, taking you home."

"Loki is unable to bring us home, only Heimdall or Odin can, and thanks to his majesty, that won't be anytime soon," (Y/n) glared at Thor.

"Cut ties with me and you can return (Y/n)."

"You wouldn't survive a day without me."

~*~

Sif, Loki, and the Warriors Three, still in shock from the days events, sat in front of a fire in one of the castle's sitting rooms.

"We should have done something," Volstagg sighed over a goblet of wine.

"We wouldn't have been able to," Sif shook her head.

"At least they're only banished, not dead. Which is what we'd all be if that guard hadn't told Odin where we'd gone."

Loki looked down at his hand, the one that had turned temporarily blue once the Frost Giant had made contact with him.

"Who even told the guard?"

"I did," Loki admitted, "I told the guard to go to Odin after we left."

"You did?"

"We never should have reached Jotunheim. I had no idea that Father would banish Thor for what he did. Nor did I know that (Y/n) would get caught in the crossfire," sadness filled Loki as he realized that (Y/n) was stuck in Midgard until she left Thor, and she was much too loyal for that. If only she could drop that loyalty, come home to Loki, so that they might be married.

"Loki," Sif stood up, "You must go to the Allfather and convince him to change his mind."

"And if I do then what? I love Thor more than any of you do but you know what he is. He's arrogant, he's reckless, he's dangerous. You saw how he was today. Is that what Asgard needs from its king?"

"And are you to keep your betrothed under the sentence she wasn't meant to have? You love her more than you love Thor, Loki. Will you keep her there?"

Loki stayed silent, leaving the room quickly after Sif questioned him. He would give anything to be able to just take (Y/n) back, but the Allfather's mind was made. She was to stay on Earth with Thor in exile until she cut ties with him.

"Please be safe (Y/n)," Loki whispered, his eyes on the gold ring on his finger, there was to be another ring added to that, and Asgardian wedding ring. Was she looking at her ring as well? "Please."

Back in the room Sif and the others were talking.

"He may speak of the good of Asgard but he's always been jealous of Thor."

"Laufey said there was a traitor in the house of Odin," Hogun sighed, "A master of magic could bring three Jotuns into Asgard."

"Loki's always been one for mischief but your talking about something else entirely," Fandral disagreed, "He would never do anything to put (Y/n) in harm's way."

"And now that she's gone?" Hogun asked.

No one had an answer for that. 

Loki left his place in the hallway to walk to the Room of Relics. From the stairs he could see the Jotuns Casket.

Loki slowly walked over to it, grabbing the handles on each side and lifting it off of the pedestal. As he did so, a blueness spread from his arms across his body. Behind him, the Destroyer began to step out from its place, ready to destroy the person who was stealing the Casket.

"Stop!"

Loki turned and saw Odin hurrying into the room. The Destroyer stepped back into its rightful place.

"Am I cursed?" Loki asked.

"No. Put the Casket down."

Loki set the Casket back down, his body returning to its normal color.

"What am I?"

"You're my son."

"What more than that?" Odin stayed silent. Loki's eyes widened in realization, "The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?"

"No," Odin answered truthfully, "In the aftermath of the battle I went into the temple and found a baby. Small, for a Giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son."

"Laufey's son?"

"Yes."

Loki's breathing began to quicken as he realized the lies he had been told his entire life, "Why? You were knee deep in Jotun blood, why would you take me?"

"You were an innocent child."

"No," Loki knew there was a deeper reasoning, "You took me for a purpose. What was it?"

Odin stayed silent.

"Tell me!" Loki screamed.

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace, through you. But those plans no longer matter."

"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked away until you might have use of me?" Loki asked.

"You are my son."

Loki's eyes widened, and anger flowed through him, "You wanted to unite Asgard and Jotunheim. Through marriage? Is every moment that (Y/n) and I have spent together a lie? Were we pushed together? Does she know of these plans?"

"Your love is truer than that of any I have seen in my many years," Odin's voice became slightly desperate, "The plans were made before (Y/n) was called to the palace, before you gave her a ring of promise. Why do you twist my words?"

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning, why didn't you?"

"You are my son." Odin repeated, "I wanted only to protect you from the truth of your heritage."

"What, because I-I-I'm the monster that parents tell their children about at night? You know it all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all those years. Your absolute enthusiasm in my engagement to the most powerful woman in Asgard. Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard, because I was just another weapon of your to end a war."

Odin stumbled back, falling on the stairs. Loki's breathing was still erratic as he bent down next to his Father.

"Guards, guard help!"

As the guards entered the room to assist Odin, Loki took in a few calming breaths. Odin had lied to him his entire life, and perhaps the last conversation they had was their only true conversation.

(Y/n) didn't know of the plan, of his heritage, and she truly loved him. But Loki was frightened to ask himself, would she continue to love him, even though he was one of the monsters they were taught to fear?


	5. Artificial City

Loki sat next to Frigga, no longer his Mother by birth, as they watched over Odin in his Odinsleep.

"I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning. There should be no secrets in a family," Frigga said softly.

"So why did he lie?"

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different. You are in every way our son, Loki, and we your family. You must know that," Frigga assured, "You can speak to him. He can see and hear us, even now."

"How long will it last?" Loki asked.

"I don't know. This time is different. We were unprepared," Frigga sighed.

"I never get used to seeing him like this. The most powerful being in the Nine Realms lying helpless until his body is restored."

"But he's put it off for so long now, I fear..." Frigga trailed off, her voice breaking. Loki took her hand, giving a weak smile, "You're a good son. We mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us. And Thor and (Y/n)."

"What hope is there for Thor?" Loki questioned.

"There's always a purpose to everything your father does." Frigga looked at her silent son, "You miss her, (Y/n)."

"I love her more than anyone," Loki said quietly, "I wish to spend eternity with her."

"You will. You will."

Armoured guards entered the room, stopping and bowing before Loki.

"Thor is banished. The line of succession falls to you. Until he awakens, Asgard is yours," Frigga stated, "Make your father proud."

~*~

"Now tell us exactly what happened to you last night," Jane ordered. The small group was sitting inside a local diner. (Y/n) and Thor ate from the plates in front of them, "Maybe start with how you got inside that cloud."

"And how you could eat an entire box of Pop-Tarts and still be this hungry," Darcy added.

(Y/n) and Thor downed their drinks.

"This drink, I like it. Another!"

The two threw their mugs at the ground, shattering them.

"Sorry, Izzy. Little accident."

(Y/n) realized that slamming cups was not costum on Midgard. She reached down to the shattered pieces of the cup, reemerging with a full, undamaged one.

"How do you do that?" Darcy asked.

"Magic," (Y/n) answered honestly.

"What was that?" Jane asked angrily.

"It was delicious. I want another."

"Then you should just say so," Jane paused, looking at the perfectly fine cup and the absence of a mess at (Y/n)'s side.

"I did," Thor said simply.

"I mean ask for it. Nicely."

"I meant no disrespect."

"All right, then no more smashing, deal?"

"Deal," (Y/n) nodded.

"You have my word."

"Good."

(Y/n) leaned over to Thor, "I do not believe Midgardian culture is anywhere near ours. We must walk carefully."

Two men entered the diner, sitting down at the bar table.

"The usual please Izzy."

"You missed all the excitement out at the crater. They're saying some kind of satellite landed out in the desert."

"Yeah we were having a good time until the feds showed up."

"Excuse me, did you say a satellite?" Jane asked.

"Yeah."

"This is going on Facebook, smile," Darcy lifted up her phone and took a picture of Thor and (Y/n).

"What did it look like, the satellite?" Erik questioned.

" I don't know anything about satellites, but it was heavy, I mean, nobody could lift it."

"The hammer," (Y/n) whispered to Thor, standing up and walking over to the man, "Where's the crater?"

"About 50 miles West."

(Y/n) motioned for Thor to follow her. They walked out onto the street. (Y/n) realized it was a bad thing when people began to yell at them and pulled Thor to where other people were walking.

"Where are you going?" Jane asked, running out of the diner after them.

"Fifty miles west of here," Thor answered.

"Why?"

"To get what rightfully belongs to me."

"Oh so you own a satellite now?"

"It's not what they say it is," (Y/n) shook her head, "Trust us."

"Well whatever it is the government seems to think it's theirs. So are you just going to go in there and take it?"

"Yes," Thor answered simply. "If you take us there now, I will tell you everything you wish to know."

"Everything?"

"Everything. After I reclaim Mjolnir."

"Myeu-muh? What's Myeu-muh?" Darcy asked.

"Can I have a word Jane?" Erik, Jane, and Darcy walked a few feet away from the two.

"What are you going to do after you get your hammer back?" (Y/n) asked, "Odin is not going to let you back home Thor, not yet at least."

"He will," Thor said surely, "Then you may go home and marry Loki."

(Y/n) began to twist the ring on her finger when Thor said that. Oh, how she wished she could just call up the Bifrost and return home where Loki was waiting for her. But she had to wait until either Thor got his hammer back, or until he accepted the mortal life and got the hang of everything.

"I'm sorry," Jane walked over to them, "But I can't drive you."

"Then this is where we say goodbye," Thor kissed the back of Jane's hand, causing her to giggle.

"Thank you?" Jane said uncertainly.

"Thank you for your help Lady Jane, Lady Darcy, Sir Erik," (Y/n) nodded towards the three respectfully, "Perhaps we shall meet again."

Thor and (Y/n) watched the group walk down the road for a few moments before turning away.

"Can you teleport us?" Thor asked.

"Fifty miles west is quite vague, I wouldn't trust myself to bring us to the right spot."

"Damn."

~*~

"Allfather, we must speak with you," Sif jogged into the throne room, the Warriors Three behind her.

They all stopped when they saw it wasn't Odin on the throne, but Loki, his father's spear in his hand.

"What is this?" Volstagg asked in confusion.

"My friends," Loki said his voice shaking slightly, "You haven't heard? I am now Ruler of Asgard. My Father has fallen into Odinsleep, and Mother fears he will never wake up again."

"May we speak with her?"

"She has refused to leave my father's bedside. You can bring your urgent matter to me," Loki stood, tapping his spear once on the ground, "Your King."

The four bowed, kneeling in front of Loki. It was Sif who spoke once again, "We beg that you end Thor's banishment."

Loki stared at the group, his eyes scanning each of them over and thinking over the situation. He was only the temporary king, the power he held was not permanent. Not only that but Thor started a war, if he came back he would become king and continue it. He knew he would seem like the villain, but in all aspects he didn't have the power nor the stupidity to bring Thor back.

"My first act can't be to repeal Odin's last. This is a time of war. Asgard needs a sense of continuity."

Sif stood up. Fandral grabbed her arm before she could do anything.

"Of course," Fandral agreed, "Are you locating (Y/n)? She was not banished."

"(Y/n) has been located," Loki confirmed, "We watch for the moment she is far enough from Thor to open the Bifrost safely."

"If I may," Volstagg stood up, "Perhaps beg the indulgence of your majesty to reconsider-"

"We're done," Loki said sternly.   
The four stood up, Sif was the last to leave, "May (Y/n) leave my oaf of a brother, so she may be queen."

~*~

Thor and (Y/n) entered the building titled 'Pet Store', walking up to the man up front.

"We need horses," Thor announced.

"We don't have horses. Just cats, dogs, birds..." The clerk trailed off.

"Give us something large enough to ride."

_HONK!_

"You still want a lift?" Jane asked.  
The two walked from the store to Jane's car, Thor getting in the passenger side and (Y/n) getting in the back.

"I've never done anything like this before! Have you ever done anything like this before?"

"Many times," Thor and (Y/n) nodded, believing she meant going into battle, "You're brave for doing it."

"They just stole my entire life's work. I really don't have anything left to lose."

"But you're clever. Far more clever than anyone else in this Realm."

"Realm? Realm?"

_"(Y/n)."_

_(Y/n)'s surroundings changed. She was in the Asgard throne room, Loki in front of her._

_"(Y/n) you must leave Thor, so that you may come home." Loki begged._

_"I can not leave Thor. He may be thick-headed but I can't leave him here alone. Odin must allow him to return home, or he must accept his fate."_

_"Father has fallen into Odinsleep." Loki explained, "I am king now."_

_"Then you can send us back!" (Y/n) said excitedly._

_"My first act can't be to repeal the last," Loki argued, "You were not part of that act. (Y/n), please, come home. Come home so you may become my queen."_

_"I can't leave your brother."_

_"He's not my brother. Odin lied, he's lied since our childhood," Loki's skin turned to a light blue, his eyes a dark red, "I am of Jotunheim. A monster."_

_"You are no monster Loki," (Y/n) placed her hand on Loki's cheek, her skin burning, but no damage being done, "You are who you choose to be. You aren't like your kind. Please, send us home soon."_   
_(Y/n) kissed Loki's cold lips as her form began to disappear, "I love you."_

(Y/n) was silent the rest of the ride west. Her mind was on Loki, what he said. Half of her wanted to leave Thor so she could go back to Asgard, the other half of her wanted to stay with him until something big happened, that was the side that was winning. She wanted to be mad at Loki for not bringing them back, but she knew that when Odin woke he would likely banish Thor again.

No matter what he was or what he did, she was bound to Loki for life. Not unwillfully, it was her choice to say yes to the Asgardian ring of promise, and she would never regret it. Loki would be her love for eternity, and she his. He was Jontun. But he wasn't at the same time. Jotuns only felt pain and hate. Loki could love, and fear, and feel sadness. He would never harm or hurt (Y/n), and that was the Loki she loved.

"(Y/n) we're here," Thor announced, keeping his voice low as Jane parked the van a bit away from the site.

They snuck towards the grass above the crater, stopping when they were closer. Jane pulled out a pair of binoculars, looking at what appeared to be a city below them.

"That isn't a satellite crash. They would have hauled the wreckage away, not built a city around it," Jane scoffed.

"You're going to need this," Thor handed Jane his coat.

"Why?" As Jane asked, as she did, thunder boomed from above.

"Stay here. Once I have Mjolnir, I will return what they stole from you. Deal?"

"No! Look what's down there! You can't just walk in, grab our stuff, and walk out!" Jane exclaimed.

"No. I'm going to fly out."

(Y/n) chuckled at the confusion on Jane's face. Thor motioned for them to begin moving towards the crater.

Jane looked at the two in confusion while they began to walk down to the crater. Thor pulled up a small piece of the fence for a distraction while (Y/n) walked them both through the fence.

A buggy with two guards in it pulled up to the hole. (Y/n) grabbed the weapon from one of them, slamming it into his head and knocking him unconscious rather quickly. (Y/n) snapped her fingers and a raincoat appeared over her shoulders, keeping her dry from the rain that began to pick up.

She followed behind Thor as he began to walk through the outside of the compound. Alarms began to sound around them as the agents they knocked out were found.   
Letting out a sigh she reprimanded herself for not hiding the unconscious bodies somewhere.

The storm began to worsen the closer Thor got to his hammer, it was calling to him. They ran across the yard and to the entrance. An agent ran towards them. (Y/n) reached out and put her hand on his arm.

"Sleep," she ordered.

The man's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Thor questioned.

"I was panicking," (Y/n) hissed.

They ran past many agents trying to stop them, getting nearer to the center of the artificial city.

They passed a final corner, Thor's hammer in their sight. As Thor began to run towards it he was punched back by a large man.

"You're big," Thor smirked, "Fought bigger."

The man tackled Thor out of the back of the tunnel. (Y/n) glanced at Mjolnir, and back at Thor. She was able to wield it, nearly the entire royal family was. Rolling her eyes she ran out to Thor, holding out her hand.

"Would you please stop moving," she requested, neither complied.

Thor finally got a good hit on the man. (Y/n) took the chance and placed her hand on his arm, "Sleep!"

The man fell backwards on the hill. Sighing in relief, (Y/n) held out her arms as she almost fell in the mud.

"A lifetime of living with royalty and you still lack grace," Thor smirked, lightening the mood.

"I'm meant for fighting, not for being graceful," (Y/n) grumbled.

The two walked back into the tunnel, right up to the hammer. Thor grinned, his hand wrapping around the handle. He tugged once, nothing. He pulled again nothing. This time, he put two hands on the handle and pulled, nothing.

"Thor," (Y/n) whispered in shock, "You aren't worthy."


	6. Midgardian Liquor

Thor stepped back from the hammer, screaming up at the sky before falling to his knees. (Y/n) hesitantly placed her fingers on the handle, deciding against picking it up. It was meant to be Thor wielding the hammer. Her picking it up would be like Thor wielding her Infinity Stone.

Soldiers moved towards the two. (Y/n) looked to Thor, who stayed silent as his hands were brought behind his back. She did the same. No mortal object could take away her power, if she felt in danger she could easily leave. But what these Midgardians were doing with the hammer she wanted to know.

(Y/n) was in her room for around ten minutes before the man who she assumed was in charge entered.

"I uh, just finished talking to your friend. We'll see how your stories match up, or really, how crazy both of you sound. It's not easy to do what you did. You knocked my men out by just touching them. In my experience, it takes someone who's received similar training to do what you did to them. Would you like to tell me where you received your training? Pakistan? Chechnya? Afghanistan?"

"Asgard," (Y/n) answered honestly.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

"(Y/n) Cardottir."

The man chuckled, "Yes, the wife of Loki in Norse folklore. We'll get the information we want one way or another. We're good at that." A small machine beeped in the man's pocket, "I'll be right back."

The man left, leaving (Y/n) alone. The woman sighed, dropping her head slightly. When she opened them again, Loki was in front of her in Midgardian garb.

"Loki?" She whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to plead once again that you come home," Loki put his hand over (Y/n)'s, causing the handcuffs to disappear.

"I can't leave Thor. Not until he is able to return home or until he accepts his mortal life. Then I shall call upon Heimdall."

"I should freeze you and take you back with me," Loki muttered.

"Try your best My Prince," (Y/n) smirked.

Loki kissed (Y/n)'s hand, "I will not rest until you are by my side once again."

"May," Erik entered her room, "There you are. Come on, Donny is already outside, let's go."

(Y/n) stood up from her seat, joining Thor as the three walked out of the compound.

As (Y/n) passed by a table she spotted the notebook that Jane was so fond of. Knowing of Thor's promise she nabbed it, holding it close to her.

"Doctor Selvig!" The man yelled, "Keep them away from bars."

"I will," Selvig assured.

"Where are we going?" Thor asked.

"To get a drink." Selvig grumbled.

~*~

Loki, looking apprehensive, walked alone across the icy surface of Jotunheim.

As Loki entered the ruined castle. Jotun guards soon surrounded him on all sides. Laufey stood from his throne, his height menacing compared to Loki's.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you," Laufey growled.

"I've come alone and unarmed," Loki stated.

"To what end?"

"To make you another proposition."

"So you're the one who let us into Asgard," Laufey realized, "My men are dead, and I have no Casket. You are a deceiver."

Laufey lashed out and grabbed Loki around the throat, but Loki calmly stood his ground.

"You have no idea what I am," Loki smirked, blueness spread across his face as Laufey and his guards stared in shock, "Hello, Father."

Laufey released Loki and his skin turned back to normal.

"Ah, the bastard son. I thought Odin had killed you. That's what I would have done. He's as weak as you are," Laufey stated.

"No longer weak. I now rule Asgard, until Odin awakens. Perhaps you should not have so carelessly abandoned me."

"Or perhaps it was the wisest choice I've ever made. I will hear you."

"I will conceal you and a handful of your soldiers, lead you into his chambers, and let you slay him where he lies. I'll keep the throne, and you will have the Casket," Loki stated.

"Why would you do this?" Laufey questioned.

"When all is done, we will have a permanent peace between our two worlds. Then I, the bastard son, will have accomplished what Odin and Thor never could."

Loki hid his nervousness as his plan was set into action. Lure Laufey into Asgard, and eliminate him in a world where his people can't see it.

"I accept."

Loki turned to leave, as he did so, a breath of relief left his lips. For once, everything seemed as though it was falling into place.

Loki stepped out of the palace, calling up Heimdal so he may activate the Bifrost.

"What troubles you, Gatekeeper?" Loki asked when he came back to the Observatory.

"I turned my gaze upon you in Jotunheim, but could neither see nor hear you. You were shrouded from me, like the Frost Giants who entered this Realm."

"Perhaps your senses have weakened after your many years of service," Loki suggested.

"Or perhaps someone has found a way to hide that which he does not wish me to see," Heimdall's tone became accusatory.

"Tell me, did Odin ever fear you?" Loki asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because he is my king, and I have sworn to obey him."

"He _was_ your king, and you are sworn to obey _me_ now. Yes?"

"Yes," Heimdall answered after a pause.

"Then you will open the Bifrost to no one but (Y/n) should she call, and myself after I fix the mess Thor has caused."

~*~

(Y/n) sipped on the very weak Midgardian liquor. Was this meant to get people drunk?

"Seems Darcy's a terrible intern, but a talented hacker," Erik stated.

"Thank you for what you've done," Thor thanked.

(Y/n) smiled. Perhaps Midgard was good for Thor, she didn't have to force him to give thanks anymore. She could feel that he had changed from the arrogant prince he was a few days ago.

"You know, I've had it all backwards," Thor sighed.

"That's alright, getting something wrong. You start asking the right questions."

"For the first time in my life, I don't know what to do," Thor turned to (Y/n), "I want you to leave me, go back to Asgard. I am doomed to exile, you can return home."

"You are my brother Thor, in every way but blood," (Y/n) put a hand on his arm, "Until you are ready for the mortal life, I will not leave you."

"Thank you," Thor addressed both (Y/n) and Erik.

"Don't thank me, I'm doing this for Jane. Her Father and I worked at university together. He was a good man. He never listened."

"Neither did I. My Father was trying to teach me something, but I was too stupid to see it." Thor scoffed.

"I don't know if you're delusional or if you're pulling some kind of con, I don't care. I just care about her," Erik addressed Thor about Jane. (Y/n) began to twirl the ring on her finger. "I've seen the way she looks at you."

"I swear I mean her no harm."

"Good, then I'll buy you another round, and you'll leave town tonight."

(Y/n) and Thor nodded hesitantly.

"Hey, I know you, man," one of the men from the diner approached Thor, he was obviously drunk and looking for a fight, "You were in the diner with that hot girl."

(Y/n) and Thor shared a worried look. Neither of them liked where this was going.

"I wouldn't mind her doing a little research on me," the man let out a slurred laugh, his gaze traveled to (Y/n), "Or you."

(Y/n) raised her hand, the space between and around her fingers glowing red and gold. Thor reached up and brought her hand down, surprising her.

"I have no quarrel with you. But she's a lady. You should be more respectful," Thor advised.

"And you should shut the hell up, princess."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened and she looked to Thor worriedly. Her mind going back to the situation that got them sent here in the first place.

"I will not fight him," Thor stated.

"Then it'll be easy to kick your ass."

(Y/n) brought up her other hand and wiggled her fingers, her tone commanding, "Leave."

The drunk man became stiff, turning around and walking from the bar.

"Three boilermakers," Selvig ordered calmly.

~*~

(Y/n) knocked on the door of Jane's trailer. Jane soon answered, looking at a near unconscious Erik in shock.

"Oh my God, what happened?" She asked.

"We drank, we fought, he made his ancestors proud," Thor grinned.

"Right, put him on the bed," Jane ordered.

Thor entered the trailer, placing Erik on the bed near the back.  
Jane and Thor made eye contact, and (Y/n) felt out of place. She pulled Jane's notebook from her jacket pocket and discreetly put it in Thor's hand.

"I'm going to go for a walk," she said awkwardly.

She walked out of the trailer into a field nearby, just outside of the city. As she mindlessly walked slowly, she closed her eyes.

_"Come on Loki, come on!"_

_"I'm coming darling," Loki laughed, (Y/n) always loved his laugh, it was beautiful and filled her with joy._

_(Y/n) ran to the middle of the field, falling backwards into the flowers. Petals flew up into the air around her. She waved her hand around and the petals multiplied, until they rained over the area._

_"They're almost as beautiful as you darling," Loki laid down next to her._

_"Just think, perhaps a year or two from now, we'll be married, I'll have my Infinity Stone." (Y/n) sighed dreamily, "Everything will be absolutely perfect."_

_"It's already perfect," Loki mumbled, running a strand of (Y/n)'s hair through his fingers, "If it can stay just like this, I'd be happy."_

_"So would I."_

When (Y/n) opened her eyes again a few stray tears had fallen down her cheeks. She wanted that life again, no cares, no worries. Just pure happiness with Loki. That would be perfection. Not all this war and separation, and confusion.

For a moment, she felt tempted to call to Heimdall to bring her back to Asgard. But her work wasn't done on Earth. If she left Thor know she wouldn't feel right, he would be alone in this new world that didn't know who he truly was.

"Soon Loki, soon."


	7. The Guardian

"Our dearest friend banished, (Y/n) gone with him, Loki on the throne, Asgard on the brink of war, yet you manage to consume four wild boar, six pheasant, a side of beef, and two casks of ale. Shame on you! Don't you care?" Fandral knocked the plate from Volstagg's hands.

"Do not mistake my appetite for apathy!" Volstagg yelled, standing up.

"Stop it, both of you! We all know what we have to do, we're just too damned afraid to do it!" Sif and Hogun pushed the two apart.

"We must go," Hogun agreed, "We must find Thor and (Y/n)."

"It's treason, Hogun."

"To hell with treason, it's suicide."

"They would do the same for us," Sif pointed out

"Now, shh! Heimdall may be watching!" Volstagg shushed.

A guard entered the room and everyone tensed, "Heimdall demands your presence."

"We're doomed."

The four walked from the palace, across the Rainbow Bridge, to Heimdall's Observatory where he was waiting for them.

"You would defy the command of Loki, our king?" Heimdall asked, "Break every oath you have made as warriors and commit treason to bring Thor and (Y/n) back?"

"Yes," Sif nodded.

"Good."

"So you'll help us?"

"I am bound by honour to our kind. I cannot help you," Heimdall quickly left the chambers.

"Look," Sif pointed at Heimdall's sword, in the proper position for Midgard.

From his place on one of the balconies of the palace Loki saw the Rainbow Bridge spread outward. He quickly turned around and stormed back into the palace.

He walked straight to the Hall of Relics, tapping his spear on the ground once. The Guardian stepped out from behind it's rightful place.

If Thor returned to Asgard then he would once again pursue war with the Jotuns, and everything in his plan, and Asgard, would fall to pieces.

"Ensure my brother does not return. Destroy everything. But leave (Y/n) unharmed, absolutely no danger shall be brought upon her."

~*~

(Y/n) gave a thankful smile to Jane as she placed some eggs on her plate for breakfast. She sat down at the table across from a hungover Erik and a normal Darcy. After her first bite her posture became rigid.

"You alright?" Darcy asked.

"Yeah, something feels strange."

"Found you!" She heard a familiar voice yell.

She grinned, looking over at the glass doors of the lab. Sif and the Warriors Three were all smiling and waving at Thor and (Y/n), a truly comical sight. Erik dropped his coffee mug in shock.

"Friends!" (Y/n) ran towards the group, hugging them as they entered the lab.

Thor gave them hugs after (Y/n), looking ecstatic.

"Oh excuse me, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three," Volstagg introduced the group.

"My friends. I've never been happier to see anyone," Thor's smile left his face.

"We're here to take you home," Fandral explained.

"You know I can't go home, my Father is dead because of me," (Y/n)'s brows furrowed in confusion, who told him that? "I must stay in exile."

"Thor, your father isn't dead," (Y/n) said, "He's in Odinsleep."

A loud boom from outside drew their attention from the conversation. They walked out of the lab to see what was going on. It seemed as though a tornado was forming for a few seconds before something crashed down.

"Are you expecting someone else?" Darcy asked.

"It isn't an Asgardian," (Y/n) told them, her eyes wide, "I feel it, it's the Guardian."

"Jane you have to leave," Thor ordered as the group moved farther away from the lab and onto the street.

"What are you gonna do?" Jane asked.

"Thor's gonna fight with us!"

"My friends, I am a mere mortal. I fear I will put you in danger. But I can help the people get out."

"If you're staying I'm staying," Jane stated.

"We need some time."

"We shall give you time Thor." Erik, Jane, and Darcy stared in shock as (Y/n)'s Midgardian clothes changed into her Asgardian armor, "Come my friends, let's fight another battle."

Sif, the Warriors Three, and (Y/n) left the building, ready to face the Guardian as it slowly walked towards the town. The Guardian let out a blast, destroying several cars and bringing up pavement from the road.

"Keep it distracted," Sif smirked, running off the road into an alley.

"You guys remember the battle around a hundred years ago?" (Y/n) asked, "And how you-"

Fandral and Hogun were ahead of her. Picking up Volstagg and throwing him at the Guardian. The Guardian swung his hand and hit Volstagg into a car. He got ready to fire when Sif jumped off of a rooftop, impaling the Guardians neck with a large pole.

The Guardian shut down temporarily. The fight was far from over however, as the Guardian began to shift its body so it was facing Sif.

"Look out!" (Y/n) swung her hand to the right, knocking Sif off of The Guardian, "Fall back!"

The five began to run away from The Guardian. Sif was knocked into a car, the Warriors Three into the diner. (Y/n) created a shield around herself, ready for the Guardian to shoot at her, but he never did.

The Guardian looked over and saw the Warriors Three in the diner. He shot at them instead, knocking them out of the diner and onto the street. (Y/n) looked over to Jane, Darcy, and Erik, struggling to get to safety.

(Y/n) ran over to them, spreading her hands apart until a red and gold barrier was all around them.

"Go, now!" She yelled.

Before the three could run any further Sif and the Warriors Three joined their retreat, leaving Thor to face The Guardian.

"What is he thinking?" (Y/n) asked, as Thor dropped Sif's shield.

He approached The Guardian, speaking a few words that caused it to power down. (Y/n) thought it would return to Asgard when it swung out it's hand, hitting Thor back and injuring him.

"No!" Jane yelled, running out to Thor.

"My turn," (Y/n) began to walk for The Guardian before Sif grabbed her arm.

"Don't, please," her tone was begging, "Look at Thor (Y/n), we can't let that happen to you."

"He would never hurt me," (Y/n) assured, realizing why exactly the Guardian didn't shoot at her.

She looked at The Guardian, slowly walked towards him. She looked at all of the destruction around her, an injured Thor, a crying Jane. She had to end this. Because this Loki, wasn't the one she fell in love with. She knew that Loki had a plan to bring peace, but if this was part of it- causing destruction and bringing his brother near death- she didn't know who her fiance was anymore.

"Loki," she tried in vain to keep her voice from shaking, "Both you and Thor were raised to be kings, I know that. Thor was always going to be king, _we_ knew that. You're working so hard to get the throne, why? Remember that day in the meadow?"

(Y/n)'s eyes began to tear up, "Where we said we just wanted it to be perfect? We can still have that. You can prove right here, that you aren't your race. That you- That you won't become a monster. Won't change from the man I love. I know you were told you were a monster, but you are the one who decides who you truly are. Please."

The Guardian slowly turned around and left behind the demolished town. (Y/n) smiled in relief, wiping away her tears. Her Loki was still in there somewhere then. She would work to pull him out from below the monster he was told he had to be, the mask he had on.

Turning around her face paled when she saw Jane crying over a motionless Thor.

"No, no, no, no, no," (Y/n) knelt down besides his figure.

Something in her gut twisted. She stood up, looking at the sky. Mjolnir. Thor had become worthy of his hammer again.

"Jane, you must move," (Y/n) grabbed Jane's arm and pulled her out of the way.

Thor's hand snapped up and grabbed his hammer. His Asgardian armor was summoned as he stood.

Thor flew into the sky, creating a large vortex that lifted The Guardian off the ground. A few seconds later we saw its destroyed form land harshly. It wouldn't be getting up again.

"Is this how you always look?" Jane asked Thor as he approached.

"Mostly."

"It's a good look."

"We must go to the Bifrost site. I would have words with my brother."

"And I my fiance," (Y/n) muttered. She knew that before when he wasn't letting Thor back there was logic behind him doing so, but now...What would make him send the Guardian after his own brother? Perhaps it was because the Warriors Three and Sif had come down to Midgard.

"You really know how to pick 'em," Darcy chuckled, shrinking back under a collective glare, "Bad time?"

"Excuse me!" The man from earlier called, running up to Thor and (Y/n).

"Donald, May, I don't think you've been completely honest with me."

"I told you the truth Son of Coul," (Y/n) pointed out, "We are your allies, if you return to Jane what you have stolen."

"Borrowed, deal."

"Would you like to see the bridge we spoke of?" Thor asked Jane.

"Sure," she answered, holding back her excitement.

"(Y/n)?"

"Alright," (Y/n) rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers.

Everyone disappeared and reappeared in the location of the Bifrost Site.

"Heimdall open the Bifrost," Thor ordered as he and (Y/n) stepped onto the circle, "Heimdall?"

"Heimdall?" (Y/n) called, growing worried. "Heimdall we need you now! Heimdall!"

The Bifrost slowly began to open, giving the others time to step onto the site. (Y/n) glanced away as Thor and Jane shared their goodbye. That would not be the hello Loki would be getting from her, that was certain.

As the Bifrost touched down, the group stepped into the circle. All of them ready to return to Asgard.


	8. Bifrost Destroyed

"Get him to the healing room!" (Y/n) ordered as soon as she saw Heimdall in his weak state, "Now, let us deal with Loki."

Thor wrapped an arm around (Y/n) as he took off, his hammer took him at top speed to the palace. When they reached their home there were already signs of a break-in. What had happened?

When they walked into Odin's chambers- where the sense of Loki was the strongest- (Y/n) peeked inside to see Loki carrying his adoptive father's scepter. Frigga was standing near him, Odin lying in his bed.

"I'll go in first," (Y/n) stated, walking inside, "Loki, Frigga."

"(Y/n)," Loki looked at his fiancé in shock, "How did you return?"

"That's not important. Loki, Thor is right outside ready to destroy you. What in Odin's name do you think you're doing?" (Y/n) hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

"I was supposed to lure Laufey out to Asgard so he could be killed in private. When the Warriors Three and Sif left to get Thor back I knew that the war I've tried to prevent could be started again. I panicked darling."

"Loki," Frigga looked at her youngest son in shock, "There were better ways to go about preventing war!"

"I'm sorry Mother. But now Thor has returned, and it seems as though preventing war may not be an option."

Thor stormed into the room at that statement. Frigga flew forward and hugged her son. Thor glared at Loki over her shoulder.

"Why don't you tell her? How you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends? To kill me?"

"Kill you? Brother you are sorely mistaken," Loki shook his head.

"You're a talented liar brother. Always have been."

"It's good to have you back." Loki smirked, "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go destroy Jotunheim."

Loki shot out of the spear, sending Thor out of the palace. He turned to (Y/n), his eyes pleading.

"Loki, you don't have to destroy Jotunheim to prevent wa-"

Before (Y/n) could finish Loki had frozen her in place using his magic. She watched sadly as Loki left the room in a hurry.

"Oh, child," Frigga placed a hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder, speeding up the unfreezing process, "Both of my children hold ideals needed to rule. You need to make sure one of them has all of them."

Within a minute or so (Y/n)'s body began to be able to move once again. She quickly thanked Frigga and gave her a hug. Then, she jumped from the hole in the palace wall, stopping herself before she hit the ground. She spotted Thor recovering a few feet away and ran to him.

"Loki thinks the only way to prevent war is to destroy Jotunheim."

"Why is he so determined to stop a war that may not come?" Thor questioned.

"Because you were the one who wanted to start one, when you were gone things were going into place. Now you're back."

A flash of guilt spread across Thor's face when he realized how right (Y/n) was. It was his fault Loki was so worried about preventing war.

They flew off to the Observatory. When they arrived tendrils of ice were driven up the walls, Odin's staff frozen in place on the control panel.

"You can't stop it," Loki grinned, "It will build until it rips Jotunheim apart."

"Loki please, this isn't the way," (Y/n) begged.

"I'm going to destroy that race of monsters before they destroy us. Our warriors are not what they used to be. There will be no chance for us if we go to war."

(Y/n) froze in shock at his words. Monsters. _Monsters_. Loki was calling himself a monster. He embraced the monster.

Battlecries brought (Y/n) back to a full state of consciousness. She took the chance while Loki and Thor were fighting to run to the ice surrounding the staff.

She put her hand to the ice, wincing and pulling away because of how intensely cold it was, before placing it back. Even with her level of power, the ice was created with the Allfather's staff, and she had yet to receive her Infinity Stone.

"Is the throne really worth what you've done? What you would become?" Thor asked Loki as their battle intensified.

"I never wanted the throne. I only wanted to be your equal!"

(Y/n) winced. There it was. A full truth from Loki, with no embellishments. She was the only one to ever hear about his insecurities and his longing to be considered as Thor's equal, and now, Thor knew Loki's motivation.

"Loki I do not wish to seek out war! I want peace!"

That gave Loki pause. He looked over at (Y/n), who had her wrist inside the ice, "What made you soft? Was it a woman?"

(Y/n) gasped as the tight quarters she was in began to make her armor dig into her arm, beginning to draw blood. She grit her teeth and persisted, her eyes watching the ice nearest to her arm begin to turn red.

"Lady (Y/n)!" Thor yelled when she was able to fit her arm inside the ice, "Leave now!"

She looked outside the chamber, her eyes widening in utter shock at what she saw. Thor was destroying the rainbow bridge. She ran out and slid across the sleek surface, away from the chamber, from the Bifrost, from the danger.

"What are you doing? Stop! You'll never see her again!"

With one final hit the Rainbow Bridge was destroyed. A large explosion sounded through the air.   
As the three were blown back from the spot. (Y/n) landed a distance from the edge, groaning and rolling onto her back.   
Everything inside of her and outside ached with an intensity she hadn't felt since she first started training.

She spotted another pair of legs run past her and to the destroyed edge. Glancing up she saw it was the Allfather, awoken from his Odinsleep. (Y/n) leaned her head against the bridge, her left hand gripping the large cut on her right arm.

"I could have done it Father, for you, for all of us!" She heard Loki scream. Looking over again her mind began to clear. Loki was hanging on by the end of his father's scepter, dangling over dark space.

"No, Loki."

She got up and ran clumsily to the edge, her energy spent and gone while she was trying to break through the ice to get to the control panel.

"Loki, no!"

"Loki!" (Y/n) screamed as she saw Loki slip and fall into the endless nothing of the realms and space.

Her breathing became erratic as Thor was pulled onto the bridge. She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she processed what just happened. Loki was gone. He was gone because they thought his loyalty to his people, his cunning plans, were a crime.

"(Y/n)," both Thor and Odin stepped towards her.

"The meadow," she whispered to herself, her eyelids fluttering, "We could have- The meadow."

(Y/n)'s eyes closed entirely as she fell backwards, losing consciousness. When she awoke, she would believe it was all a dream.

~*~

A feast, was underway, for Thor and (Y/n)'s return to Asgard. Volstagg was sitting at the large banquet table, telling the tale of how he faced the Destroyer.

"...and then, with a mighty bellow, I flew at the great metal beast and laid it low-"

"Is that another way of saying you fell on your huge a-"

"As a matter of fact, falling down was a tactic. Lulling the Destroyer into a false sense of security!"

Frigga sat nearby the group, a small smile on her face, though her eyes showed her true sadness. She watched tentatively, holding back the urge to get up and talk to her. It wasn't something that needed to be done in a place crowded with people.

(Y/n) was wearing green, Loki's favorite color. It was the proper way of mourning those who had passed in Asgard. A slight shine below her collarbone made Frigga look closer. The ring of promise Loki had given (Y/n) was now on a chain, not on her finger.

"My Queen. I am so sorry for your loss," Sif said gently, referring to Loki.

"Thank you Sif," Frigga smiled, looking after (Y/n) who was leaving the hall, "How is she?"

"She misses him, and she feels guilty that she wasn't able to do more to save him."

"She did more than she realizes," Frigga mumbled.

(Y/n) walked down the empty hall that was dedicated to her and Loki. When they were engaged they were moved to the same area so they could be together. Since the...She hadn't been there. It reminded her too much of him.

(Y/n) entered their quarters, taking in a deep breath through her nose. Snow and parchment, Loki. Tears immediately came to her eyes at the small familiarity.

(Y/n) walked to Loki's side of the room where his things still were. She ran her hand over his desk, opening a few of the drawers and finding some of the things that were to be private until their wedding.

Their wedding rings was the first thing she took out. Loki's was a plain gold band, simple on his insistence. (Y/n)'s held more emeralds and diamonds to match her ring of promise. (Y/n) unhooked the chain around her neck, putting the wedding ring on.   
Her two rings made a small _clink_ as they hit against each other.

(Y/n) looked over at a chest beside the desk. Loki had always asked her to stay away from it. He wasn't there to tell her anymore.

Leaning down she twisted her hand, hearing the lock click. Pulling open the top her brows furrowed in confusion at what was inside. Many, many, folded pieces of paper that looked as though they were meant to be letters.

She took one out of the chest, opening it and beginning to read it. From the looks of it, it was a future letter for (Y/n), meant for when Loki was away on business. A letter meant to be opened for a time that could have been.

_My darling,_

_Whatever business or issue I'm attending to, I can assure you I wish for nothing more than to be by your side and with you again. I do not wish, however, to bore you with the details of what is happening here._

_While a letter may seem strange, in the age of magic, I know how much you love to read, and how personal you find letters compared to a simple magic appearance. I do listen to your words, and I crave to hear them now, as I am away from you for far too long._

_I want you to know that no matter how important the issue, you are the first thing on my mind. I wish you happiness as I travel, and contentment with Sif and the Warriors Three if they are still at the palace to keep you company._

_With much love and adoration,_

_Loki_

(Y/n) smiled, looking at the chest, when they were written appeared in her head as her eyes scanned them over. She decided that she would read one of the letter each day she could. If she imagined that he was out on business, then perhaps, one day he would come home.

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you," Frigga knocked gently on the wood of the door before entering.

"Of course not," (Y/n) put the letter back in the chest, closing it once again.

"You made him truly happy, I must thank you for that," Frigga placed a hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder, "He was always living in Thor's shadow. You gave him the light he needed."

(Y/n) nodded, dragging her rings along their chain. She closed her eyes tightly, letting out a shaky breath. She stood up and turned to face Figga. The mother had tears of her own in her eyes. The two came together for a hug, both of them understanding the other's pain.

"I just want him back," (Y/n) whispered.

"Me too," Frigga pulled (Y/n) closer to her, as if she would leave like Loki did, "Me too."


	9. Project Pegasus

**SPACE. LOCATION UNKNOWN.**

_"And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born to fight the foes no single superhero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, but their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then, for now, the Avengers Assemble!"_

Kneeling behind a throne, a dark armored figure, The Other, bowed, "The Tesseract has awakened. It is on a little world. A human world. They would wield its power...But our allies knows its workings as they never will. They are ready to lead. And our force, our Chitauri, will follow."

(Y/n) and Loki stood side by side as The Other turned to face them. Loki was given the Chitauri Scepter. A long golden handle, fitted with a blue gem encircled with silver blades.

"The world will be theirs. The universe yours. And the humans, what can they do but burn?"

**S.H.I.E.L.D. PROJECT P.E.G.A.S.U.S FACILITY**

Out in the New Mexico desert, a remote research facility is in a state of panic. It's an evacuation. A swooping helicopter flies in. Soldiers on foot jump onto Humvees, accelerating out of there.

Standing a few yards from the landing pad, a fed in a suit with sunglasses, peered at the helicopter as it landed. Agent Phil Coulson. Walking out of the helicopter was Agent Maria Hill. Following her, Director Nick Fury climbed out.

Hill and Fury approached Agent Coulson.

"How bad is it?" Fury asked.

"That's the problem, sir. We don't know," Coulson answered.

Agent Coulson lead Hill and Fury through the radiation section of the facility. Hundreds of technicians and other staff ran around, taking only the essentials.

"Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago."

"NASA didn't authorize Selvig to test phase," Fury stated.

"He wasn't testing it, he wasn't even in the room. Spontaneous advancement." Phil stated.

"It just turned itself on?" Hill asked.

"What are the energy levels now?"

"Climbing. When Selvig couldn't shut it down, we ordered the evac," Phil said.

"How long to get everyone out?" Fury asked.

"Campus should be clear in the next half hour."

"Do better," Fury ordered.

"Sir, evacuation may be futile," Hill pointed out.

"We should tell them to go back to sleep?"

"If we can't control the Tesseract's energy, there may not be a minimum safe distance," Hill explained her earlier statement.

"I need you to make sure that the prototypes are shipped out," Fury ordered.

"Sir, is that really a priority right now?" Hill asked.

"Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on. Clear out the tech below. Every piece of PHASE 2 on a truck and gone."

"Yes, sir," Hill turned to two standing agents, "With me."

Fury entered the lab facility where the Tesseract was being held by a compact muon solenoid coil chamber.

"Talk to me, doctor."

Erik Selvig emerged from behind the CMS machine, concerned. The Tesseract is glowing unusually brighter and flare rings shootout at random.

"Director," he greeted.

"Is there anything we know for certain?" Fury asked.

"Tesseract is misbehaving."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"No, it's not funny at all. The Tesseract is not only active, she's...misbehaving," Erik explained.

"How soon until you pull the plug?"

"She's an energy source. If we turn off the power, she turns it back on. If she reaches peak level..."

"We've prepared for this, doctor. Harnessing energy from space."

"We don't have the harness. Our calculations are far from complete. Now she's throwing off interference, radiation. Nothing harmful, low levels of gamma radiation."

"That can be harmful." Fury's eyes scanned around the room, "Where's Barton?"

"The Hawk? Up in his nest, as usual."

Clint Barton, dressed in black tactical gear, sat on the railing up above, watching the people below. Fury called Barton on his earpiece.

"Agent Barton, report." Barton rappelled down from the catwalk. He walked up to Fury. They both walked around the facility in a discreet manner. "I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things."

"Well, I see better from a distance," Clint said dismissively.

"Are you seeing anything that might set this thing off?"

"No one's come or gone. It's oven is clean. No contacts, no I.M.'s. If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn't at this end."

"At this end?" Fury questioned.

"Yeah, the cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? The doors open from both sides."

Erik worked quickly on his computer and saw on the monitoring his worst nightmares. Suddenly the Tesseract thundered and shook the entire facility. Big enough to where both Agents Hill and Coulson could feel and they were at different ends of the facility.

The flaring rings and glow of the cube spout out brighter and louder, like a boiling pot of water. The Tesseract's energy built up into a beam much like the Bifrost Bridge, which hit at the end of a platform that was wired to the CMS device. The great maelstrom beam fired the Tesseract energy. The beam then formed a vortex, which opened up a portal. From the portal, the blackness of space, beautiful and mysterious, strewn with a billion stars appears and a gust of blue energy filled the room, blinding everyone.

The Tesseract's energy formed into a cloud that reached to the top the facility's vacuum chamber ceiling. It was abnormally quiet. Then... breathing was heard from the platform.

S.H.I.E.L.D guards slowly approached, weapons in hand. Two figures were kneeling on the platform, smoke coming off of them. It's Loki and (Y/n).

Loki was in his Asgardian armour, ready for battle. (Y/n) was dressed in an outfit not seen by those who had met her before. Gone was her Asgardian armor, replaced by a top that stopped above her stomach and a skirt that reached her mid thigh. Not the outfit you'd think she would wear for a battle.

Smiling in his mischievous manner, Loki raised his head. (Y/n) continued to frown, her eyes sad. The smile on Loki's face died down. He looked deep into the eyes of Fury, Barton and Erik. He stood up, holding the scepter.

"(Y/n)?" Erik questioned, his brows furrowing in confusion seeing her on Earth, and without Thor.

"Sir, please put down the spear!" Fury yelled, lifting his gun.

Loki looked at his spear then suddenly pointed it at where Fury and Barton were standing and shot out a blue exploding light. Barton tackled Fury and they both barely missed Loki's fired shot.

All hell broke loose. A machine gun was fired at Loki. (Y/n) waved her hand and the bullets deflected off a red gold shield. Loki jumped from the platform and attacked those firing at him. In the blink of an eye, Loki took down several guards with his knives and energy blasts from the scepter.

(Y/n) had not harmed a single person during Loki's violent attack. She kept a shield over herself and that was it. Her eyes stayed on Loki, continuing to be filled with an overwhelming sadness. Blue eyes, not green. Blue. Loki's eyes had always been beautiful. Green, like his favorite color. The chitauri made them blue, like the scepter, and she didn't know how to fix them.

"You must leave," (Y/n) told Erik hurriedly as Loki was distracted with Clint.

"Why are you doing this?" Erik asked, "What are you wearing?"

"Loki is easier to convince when I wear something like this. I am afraid that I have broken your trust," she whispered, glancing over at Loki as he turned Clint, "But I swear it is for a greater cause. Please trust my words."

"Please don't, I need that," Loki looked at Fury as he tried to leave with Tesseract.

"This doesn't have to get messier," Fury warned.

"Of course it does. I am Loki, Prince of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

"Loki? Brother of Thor?" Erik asked, his eyes moving to (Y/n), "This is Loki?"

"We have no quarrel with your people," Fury stated.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," (Y/n) spoke loudly for the first time.

"You planning to step on us?"

"We come with glad tidings, of a world made free," Loki spread out his arms.

"Free from what?" Fury asked.

"Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart..." Loki turned to face Erik who was standing behind him and places his spear against Erik's heart. Erik's eyes glowed black before fading to a bright blue. "You will know peace."

"Yeah, you say peace, I kind of think you mean the other thing."

From the vacuum chamber ceiling, the Tesseract's energy cloud rapidly built into what may have been an implosion.

"Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow. Drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us," Clint stated.

"Like The Pharaohs of Odin," Fury said openly.

"He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical."  


"Well, then..."

Loki, looked at Barton, who didn't even hesitate, he shot Fury who fell to the ground. (Y/n) winced, her fingers twitching, she yearned to heal Fury. But that would ruin everything. Barton grabbed the case containing the Tesseract and left the lab with Loki, (Y/n), Erik and the other S.H.I.E.L.D personnel Loki controlled.

Loki, and (Y/n) sat down in the bed of a humvee, their hands finding each others despite the chaos. (Y/n) closed her eyes, she could feel her Loki in there somewhere, beneath the rubbish that had been drilled painfully into his head. Hill looked at the scene in confusion.

"Need these vehicles," Clint said shortly.

"Who're they?" Hill pointed to (Y/n) and Loki.

"They didn't tell me."

Agent Hill looked suspiciously at them as they got into the truck and turned to leave, as she was walking away...

"Hill, do you copy?"

Loki and (Y/n) turned to Hill.

"Barton is compromised."

Suddenly, Hill turned to shoot at Clint, but Clint was already pointing his gun at her and began shooting, he moved to the driver's seat of the truck and drove odd as Hill kept shooting.

Hill slipped into a jeep and followed after Barton's truck. Loki's trucks screeched across the tunnel. Several S.H.I.E.L.D trucks pulled up to them. A drive-by shooting ensued. Loki used his scepter and emitted energy blasts, flipping over S.H.I.E.L.D. trucks.

Hill's jeep roared up to the side of Barton's truck and pulled up alongside them on the left. She drove way ahead and pulled her brake, she swerved in a 360, facing Barton's truck and driving in reverse.

Barton's arm reached out the open window and he began to open fire. Agent Hill shot through her windshield, firing back at Barton.

(Y/n) moved her hand forward, pushing the jeep faster than natural. Her brows furrowed as she did so, passing Hill safely as they left. She looked behind her, discreetly flicking her fingers on one of her hands and saving Hill from being crushed by the rubble.

From above them, Fury's copter loomed. Fury pulled out his gun and began to shoot at the jeep. Loki raised his scepter and shot at the copter, knocking it from the air. (Y/n) moved to the back and slowed Fury's fall, giving a salute. From those in the jeep's point of view it was mocking, but (Y/n) knew Fury would see what it meant.


	10. Galas

Selvig and several scientists worked around the CMS device. Barton walked in, holding a tablet.

"Where did you find all these people?" Erik asked Clint.

"S.H.I.E.L.D has no shortage of enemies, Doctor," Clint answered casually. He held up a screen showing information on Iridium, "Is this the stuff you need?"

"Yeah, iridium. It's found in meteorites, it forms antiprotons. It's very hard to get hold of."

"Especially if SHIELD knows you need it."

"Hey! The Tesseract is showing me so much. It's more than just knowledge, it's... truth," Erik said to (Y/n) and Loki as they approached.

"Yes, yes," (Y/n) said absently. Her eyes were no longer sad, they were hopeful, she had seen exactly what she wished to when she searched through her mind's eye. Earth was preparing their defenses. Heroes, misfits, that would stop the army that so longed to take over the world.

"What did it show you, Agent Barton?"

"My next target."

"Tell me what you need."

"I'll need a distraction," Clint grabbed and opened his bow, "And an eyeball."

~*~

(Y/n) looked at Loki preparing a team to get the metal needed for the machine. She bit her lip nervously as Loki walked over to her. His eyes were a bright green, the green she had seen glimpses of since she had found Loki, or rather, since Loki had found her.

_"I don't understand why you're doing this," the green woman (Y/n) had come to know as Gamora whispered._

_"Because you deserve to be free."_

_(Y/n) pulled the hood on her head farther down, looking around cautiously. They were on a planet in one of the darkest, most unexplored areas of space, but it was safe._

_"Thank you, so much," Gamora thanked (Y/n), considering giving her a hug, "If you can say, what's inside this orb?"_

_"Something more valuable than you can imagine," (Y/n) sighed, "Something full of power. The Collector may explain it to you more, but whether he does or not, he knows not to use it. Good luck."_

_(Y/n) turned to leave but Gamora grabbed her arm, "Listen, Thanos, he's going to do whatever he can to take over the universe."_

_(Y/n) smiled, "Well getting that orb away from him will put us one step ahead."_

_Gamora nodded, turning around and beginning to walk to her ship. (Y/n) sighed, and began to do the same._

_She had been in Asgard for a short while after Loki's death before she decided to leave. Not permanently, just to clear her mind and get away from everything that reminded her of Loki so much. She found Gamora in a bar, paying someone for information about people who she could sell ancient objects to._

_After talking to her for a while, (Y/n) decided to help her, giving her The Collectors information, whom she had learned of from Sif and the Warriors Three._

_"I never thought you'd come this far out into the universe."_

_(Y/n) felt every bone, every muscle in her body freeze as she heard a voice behind her. She let out a breath, turning around to face the man she loved._

_"Hello, love."_

_Something about his voice was different, it set her off, making a pit form in her stomach. As Loki approached her, she understood why her instincts were going into overdrive._

_His eyes were glowing blue._

(Y/n) shook her head and removed herself from the memory, "You don't have to do this," she whispered.

"I don't have a choice," Loki mumbled, "You know exactly how they conditioned me. You are my only clarity. If you hadn't come...I would only be a monster."

"Loki-"

"There are moments where I can see what I'm doing, like right now, but then I think of the torture and I-" Loki stopped talking, the gem in his scepter glowed and his eyes became blue once again. He wrapped an arm around (Y/n)'s waist, pulling her close, "You better change love, we have a gala to crash."

~*~

(Y/n) looked over the balcony of the gala, a frown on her face as she looked next to her. Loki looked very gentlemanly in his Midgardian suit, (Y/n) feeling graceful in her own outfit.

Loki tapped his scepter - hidden as a cane - once on the ground before holding out his arm for (Y/n) to take. When they reached the ground floor (Y/n) let go of Loki's arm, stepping back as he hit a guard over the head. He grabbed the main speaker and slammed him down on a table, pulling out the eye scanning device and slamming it onto the man's eye.

(Y/n) began to leave the room, following the rest of the guests. Her dress transformed into her battle armour, Loki soon following now that the scan was complete.

"Kneel before me," Loki ordered.

The crowd ignored him. Another (Y/n) appeared, blocking the crowd from their escape. Four more (Y/n)'s appeared on every side of the crowd.

"I said. Kneel!"

Everyone became quiet and kneeled in front of the pair. Loki embraced his arms out, smiling.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

As the words began to resonate to the kneeling crowd, an elder German man refused to kneel and stood.

"Not to people like you," he said.

"There are no people like us," Loki chuckled.

"There are always men like you," the man shot back.

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example," Loki lifted his scepter. (Y/n) lifted her hand, ready to blow her cover and save the admirable elders life. Before she could stop the blow someone jumped in front of the man, stopping him from being shot.

 _"Thor? Has Heimdall saved his energy?"_ (Y/n) asked hopefully, reaching out to Thor's mind.

_"I shall arrive soon sister, you may reveal your true intentions."_

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing," Captain America stated.

"The soldier. A man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time."

From above a Quinjet arrived, pointing a machine gun at both (Y/n) and Loki.

"Drop the weapons and stand down," Black Widow referred to (Y/n)'s sword and Loki's scepter.

Like greased lighting, Loki sent a blast of blue at the Quinjet. Natasha maneuvered it just in time, giving Cap the time to throw his shield at Loki. (Y/n) backed away from the fight, Captain America's focus staying on Loki.

"(Y/n)," Black Widow said in a warning tone, (Y/n) stopped her movement.

Loki flung Cap to the ground. Cap then threw his shield, but Loki swatted it way. Cap, was knocked down to the ground by Loki. Standing over him, he pointed the scepter's tip on his helmet.

"Kneel."

(Y/n)'s hand twisted at her side, being enveloped by a red and gold glow. She took in a deep breath, preparing herself.

"Not today!"

Cap flipped and knocked Loki down with his leg. Loki grabbed him and flipped him over.

Suddenly, AC/DC's 'Shoot to Thrill' began to play over the Quinjets speakers. Both Cap and Loki look up at the sky. (Y/n) took the chance given to her and waved her hands in front of Loki freezing him in place, waving her hands again his hands were cuffed behind his back, blocking out his magic.

"What are you doing?" Loki asked, it was in the plan to be caught, but not for (Y/n) to turn on him.

"Bringing my fiance back."

"Hands behind your back sweetheart," Tony Stark's entire arsenal was pointed at (Y/n), "I'm not buying it."

(Y/n)'s armour faded away, leaving her in normal Asgardian garb. She put her hands near her head, her fingers still glowing to keep the cuffs on Loki.

"Mr. Stark," Cap greeted.

"Captain."

~*~

"Such a betrayal," Loki looked to (Y/n), "I thought you would stay by my side. Did you not promise?"

"I am by your side Loki," (Y/n) twisted the ring on her finger, "But this is one fight I cannot allow you to win."

"What side are you on?" Tony asked, "You blasted your boyfriend, but you helped him right before."

"I was the only one who-" (Y/n) stopped talking as lightning struck, "About time."

"Scared of a little lightning?" Tony turned his attention to Loki.

"I'm not fond of what follows."

There was a loud thud on the roof. Everyone looked up, Loki sighing in annoyance. Tony pressed the button that opens the back of the ship.

Thor landed on the back. Tony lifted his hand to shoot Thor before Thor pushed him back. He grabbed Loki by the throat and jumped off the ship with him. (Y/n) stood up and walked to the end of the ramp.

"Brothers," she muttered distastefully before calmly stepping off the end.

(Y/n) free fell for a few seconds before spotting the brothers. Raising her hand she slowed herself down as she neared the brothers, landing softly near them.

"You think yourself above them," Thor said disapprovingly, "That is not that of a ruler. A throne will suit you ill."

"I've seen worlds you could only dream of _Odinson_ ," Loki spat, turning to (Y/n), "I've seen more than the Reality Stone could ever show you."

"Loki, this _poisonous_ dream needs to end. You must gain control of yourself again, give the tesseract to the Avengers!"

"I sent it off before we left for the gala. I don't have it and I don't know where it is," Loki leaned forward, his eyes glowing blue, "My best self is in control love."

(Y/n) scowled. _Love._ Loki always called her Darling. This Loki wasn't even sensible enough to know his nickname for her.

"You listen well, brother. I-"

Thor was knocked off of the mountain by Tony. (Y/n) stared after the two in shock, freezing Loki in place before jumping off the mountain and going after the two.

"Then don't take my stuff."

"You have no idea what you're dealing with," Thor stated.

"Shakespeare in the park with a hot Macbeth? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?"

"Mr Stark, the tesseract, and Loki, rightfully belong to us," (Y/n) stated.

"When he reveals where the cube is, you can take him. Until them, stay out of my way."

Tony turned around and began to walk away. Thor raised his hand and his hammer flew towards Tony, hitting him in the arm of his suit.

"Oh here the battle comes," (Y/n) put her hand on the hilt of her sword, her other hand glowing red.

Tony flew forwards and pushed Thor back into a tree. (Y/n) withdrew her sword, spinning it around in her hands.

Thor raised his hammer to the sky, moving it forward and striking Tony with a large blast of thunder.

Tony let out a large blast at Thor, knocking him through several trees.

"Mr Stark, you must stop while you're ahead," (Y/n) warned, swinging her sword at him.

Tony moved the arm of his suit upwards, the metal of (Y/n)'s sword nearly cutting through the metal of his suit.

"This isn't helping convince me that you're on our side," Tony grunted, activating his blasters.

(Y/n) swung her hands apart, creating a shield around herself. The blast bounced off, hitting Tony instead.

"You began to fight Thor, I'm simply assisting in the battle."

Steve jumped down from the plane in between the two as Thor was flying back.

"Hey! That's enough!" Steve looked to the two Asgardians, "Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here, but if you're on our side then put the hammer and sword down."

"Um, yeah, no! Bad call! They love their weapons!"

Thor backhanded Tony with his hammer. Turning to Steve his raised it above his head.

"You want me to put the hammer down?"

"Oh sir, you have made a dire mistake," (Y/n) winced.

Thor leapt high into the air, raising his hammer and bringing his hammer down on Steve's shield. A massive implosion of light reacted to Steve's shield, making a shockwave that blew down any trees within a mile radius.

(Y/n) put her sword back in her scabbard, glad the fight was over. All of them were on the same side, fighting each other was pointless.

"Are we done here?"

(Y/n) shared a tired look with Steve, "I believe we are Captain."


	11. The Lab

After Loki was lead to a different glass cell the others were led to a large meeting area with a table and many chairs around it. A video feed of what was going on in Loki's cell was pulled up.

_"In case it's unclear. You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass," Nick Fury - whom (Y/n) was briefly introduced to - pressed a button which opened up a hatch beneath the cell, "Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works? Ant. Boot."_

_"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me," Loki smirked._

_"Built for something a lot stronger than you."_

_"Oh, I've heard," Loki looked straight into the camera, "The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"_

_"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."_

_"Ooh. It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."_

(Y/n) sighed, twisting her ring on her finger. Her wedding ring had been returned to Asgard by Thor in one of their meetings after (Y/n) found Loki, seeing as how Loki was alive she was able to wear her ring of promise. Though, the Loki there now wasn't hers, he was in there somewhere, stuck behind powerful magic.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce asked sarcastically.

"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, (Y/n), what's his play?"

"There is an army called the Chitauri. They are not of any land known but they follow The Other. Loki was forced into submission and was given the scepter as a way to keep an eye on him. The Chitauri will win him in the Earth, for the Tesseract."

"An army? From outer space?" Steve question.

"So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"He chose Selvig to spite Thor," (Y/n) crossed her arms, "But yes, he is trying to build a portal."

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours," Nat pointed out.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here," Steve stated. The group turned to (Y/n).

"Loki did not share the majority of his plans with me, there was no reason for him to. However, I do know, my fiance, and he can fight much better than he did against you Captain, no offense. He was holding back."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother, and (Y/n)'s betrothed."

"He killed eighty people in two days," Nat pointed out.

"He's adopted."

"Thor," (Y/n) punched Thor in the arm.

"Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?"

"It's a stabilizing agent," Tony entered the area, "Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD. No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing. Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants." Tony looked to the crew, "Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails. That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Agent Hill asked.

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?"

"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier."

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect. Finally, someone who speaks English."

(Y/n) looked at the two scientists in confusion. Earth science seemed to be very different from Asgardian science.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him, and I want you two to examine Loki's scepter. Find out how it turned two of our best people into his personal flying monkeys," Fury entered the meeting area.

"I'll look over it as well," (Y/n) offered, "It is of Asgardian origin, and the power is familiar."

"I'll let you go when you give me one reason as to why I shouldn't put you in that cell with Loki."

"It wouldn't be able to hold me, first off. A normal Asgardian perhaps, but my power is beyond that of any being-"

"Humble," Tony muttered sarcastically.

(Y/n) ignored him, "And I joined Loki to gain information. I hated doing it, but I was the only one who could get close enough."

"Where's Agent Barton then?" Nat asked.

"On the move," was all (Y/n) said, "If you want to know how dangerous the scepter is, let me see it."

"Lady (Y/n) tells the truth." Thor defended.

"One last question then. Did you hate the other side because you were tricking Loki, or because people were hurt?"

(Y/n) stayed silent, leaving the room to go find the lab.

"You must forgive Lady (Y/n). She and Loki were to be married in the near future before he was lost. The ring she wears is an Asgardian ring of promise, what may be called an engagement ring here."

(Y/n) followed Tony and Bruce to the lab holding the scepter.

_"Sister."_

"Did you say something?" (Y/n) asked, keeping her eye on the scepter.

"Nothing, Powerhouse."

_"Sister."_

The voice was coming from the scepter, the blue stone was talking to her, to the Infinity Stone that was a part of her, well, going to be a part of her. The connection was still there, it seemed.

 _"Pick me up,"_ the stone ordered, _"I shall lead you to your true power."_

"It's an Infinity Stone," (Y/n) whispered.

Her hand twitched at her side, wanting to reach out and take the scepter from its stand.

_"Pick me up."_

(Y/n) could feel the stone in her mind, searching for the darker side of it, the uncontrollable side that craved power, that craved to sow fear and show everyone that (Y/n) was more powerful than anyone else.

(Y/n) _was_ destined to bemore powerful than anyone else. She would be able to control all of reality. She could warp the world until the nations were on their knees, and they agreed to stop the wars, stop all the fighting. If she took the scepter she could find her stone. She could release Loki, and they could rule together. Like he was raised to do, like (Y/n) craved. And if someone tried to fight-

"No!" (Y/n) suddenly yelled.

Tony and Bruce both turned to her, confusion covering their faces at her sudden outburst.

"The scepter contains an ancient stone called the Mind Stone, it's how Loki gains control of people, and how he's controlled. It calls out to the stone I will possess."

"You have an Infinity Stone?"

" _Will_ , and I rightfully possess it," (Y/n) said defensively, "That's what these markings mean. Very few people can hold an Infinity Stone without dying instantly. Before myself, there was never a person who could control the full power of my stone."

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract. But it's gonna take weeks to process," Bruce reported.

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct a reroute to the Homer cluster, we can clock this around six hundred teraflops. You know, you should come by STARK TOWERS sometime. Top ten floors, all R and D. You'd love it, it's candyland."

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke...Harlem."

"Thor and I broke Puente Antiguo," (Y/n) shrugged, "They rebuild. It is the way of mortals."

Tony poked Bruce with a mini electrocution rod, making him jump.

"Hey! Are you nuts?" Steve yelled.

"You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"

"Tony, are you ever able to take anything seriously?" (Y/n) questioned.

"No, it's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things," Bruce assured.

"You need to focus on the problem," Steve turned to Tony.

"You think I'm not? Why did Fury call us and why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"All men have their secrets," (Y/n) nodded.

"'A warm light for all mankind,' Loki's speech was a jab at Fury about the cube," Bruce pointed at Tony, "Well, I think that was meant for you. Even if Barton didn't post that all over the news."

"The Stark Tower? That big ugly- building in New York?"

"It's powered by Stark Reactors, self- sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, a year?"

"That's just the prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now."

"So, why didn't SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project? I mean, what are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

"I should probably look into that once my decryption programmer finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files," Tony said casually

(Y/n) walked over to one of the screens, looking over the information SHIELD had already gathered about the Tesseract. She knew less about the object than Loki did, but she knew it held the space stone.

(Y/n) faintly heard Steve and Tony arguing lightly, but she kept her focus on the information. It didn't make sense for an _infinity stone_ to be used for endless energy. Their power was beyond that, it was meant for more.

"That's the guy my dad never shut up about? Wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice."

"The guy's not wrong about Loki. He does have the jump on us."

"Powerhouse, is there anything else you can tell us about anything?" Tony questioned.

"It doesn't make sense for the Tesseract to be used as a power source, its power is beyond tht," (Y/n) sighed, "As for Loki's plans I'm not entirely sure. I was told bits moments before they were put into action. I wish that Loki trusted me more."

(Y/n) stayed in the lab for another few minutes, assisting Tony and Bruce in researching the scepter and in pinpointing the Tesseract. Every so often she would look over at a small screen i the corner of the room that showed the feed of Loki's cell. Suddenly, she began to walk out of the room.

"I must talk to him."


	12. Two Halves

(Y/n)'s breath caught as soon as she saw Loki standing in the clear cell. She had fought many battles in her lifetime, but approaching Loki in this state, filled her with a new kind of anxiousness. It was a dark personality and mind in her love's body.

"I thought you would come," Loki smirked, "Are you going to beg that 'your Loki' come back?"

(Y/n) stayed silent, crossing her arms, "Do you think I'm that obvious?"

"You came here to appeal to the Loki that you believe is tucked away, clawing at the edges of his own mind to be let out," Loki neared the glass of his cell, the two staring each other down, "I relish in your false hope."

"How daft do you think I am?" (Y/n) questioned, "I was there, next to you, I saw what you went through. Do you think I don't know how to get you back?"

(Y/n) took a few steps closer to the glass, easily passing through when she hit the glass. It was an effort that took more energy than she would have liked but it was worth it if it meant she could face Loki face to face.

"That day in the meadow, do you remember that? Where you said that if things stayed as they were, everything would be perfect. If you take control of yourself again, we can have that," (Y/n) hesitantly placed a hand on Loki's cheek, watching the colors in his eyes swirl, "We could be married."

"I want that," Loki whispered, "I don't want to be forced to rule a land that is free," Loki's head twitched to the side and he grunted. When he looked back at (Y/n) his eyes were glowing blue, "I want to rule a land that is depraved of the dangers of freedom. I want anyone who works against me to _rot_."

(Y/n) stumbled back at Loki's harsh words, her eyes wide. Her back hit the glass as Loki slowly approached her.

"Powerhouse the stats are really spiking we need you in the lab."

"This...idea, that you've clung onto. This team that you've joined. You will watch them burn in the ashes of the old world. And when your will is broken, and you have watched all those who could stand against me die, you shall be my queen," Loki's head twitched again and his eyes were green, "(Y/n) you must leave," another twitch, blue, "I will revel in watching the light leave your eyes," twitch, green, "Get out!"

(Y/n) stumbled back through the glass, falling on the metal floor. Loki's eyes settled on blue. His outburst was over and he was simply smirking as he watched (Y/n) run from the room.

"Woah, why in such a hurry?" Nat questioned, it seemed as though she was on her way to talk to Loki herself.

"The closer he is to the scepter the easier he is to control," (Y/n) mumbled, "Be careful, speaking to him."

(Y/n) continued on her way to the lab, trying to ignore her shaking hands. Seeing her Loki, and the Loki that The Other brought out, fighting each other was frightening. It showed how hard it would be to get Loki out of the grasp of the control.

"Took you long enough," Tony sighed when she reentered the lab, "It's calmed down by now."

"Because Loki is back under its control," (Y/n) ran a hand over her face. Everything that was happening was too much to handle.

A computer beeped from nearby, drawing everyone's attention. The three walked over, looking a the information that was being displayed. It was what SHIELD was really using the Tesseract for. Weapons, big ones.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" Fury asked angrily, entering the room.

"Uh...kind of been wondering the same thing about you."

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."

"We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile," Bruce stated.

"What is phase two?" (Y/n) questioned, looking at the screen.  
Steve dropped a HYDRA assault rifle on the table. You could easily see that he was beyond mad about his findings.

"Phase two is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're-"

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony moved the screen, showing the plans for the weapons, "What were you lying?"

"I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit," Steve sighed.

"I thought the people of Earth knew the consequences of war," (Y/n) added.

Thor and Nat entered the lab, the two immediately sensing the rising tension.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce asked Nat.

(Y/n) approached Thor, lowering her head so the two could start a hushed conversation.

"These mortals don't understand the consequences of seeking out war," she grumbled, "We have learned those consequences quite well, haven't we?"

"We have, Sister. Have you spoken to Loki?"

"Yes, he is fighting with himself, but the scepter fills him with this...this poisonous mindset. It frightens me."

"Because of them."

Thor and (Y/n) looked at the others as they were brought into the conversation.

"Us?' Thor asked, stunned.

"Last year earth had visitors from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. One of which, will receive a power older than the universe that can wipe the Earth out in less than an hour," (Y/n) crossed her arms, raising a brow, "We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"Our people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor defended.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled," Fury stressed.

"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve questioned.

"What you've done with the Tesseract is what drew the Chitauri to it. It is a sign to all species that Earth is ready for larger frights," (Y/n) scowled, mad about every unfortunate thing that had led her to this point.

"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something," Fury defended.

"Nuclear deterrent. 'Cause that always calms everything right down," Tony said sarcastically.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?"

"I'm sure if he still made-"

"Wait! Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?"

"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?"

"Do you always give your heroes such mistrust?" (Y/n) questioned.

"Are you all really that naive? S.H.I.E.L.D monitors potential threat potential threats," Nat pointed out.

"You're on that list?" Tony looked to Steve, "Are you above or below angry bees?"

Steve growled and Tony jumped back, "Threatening! I feel threatened!"

As the "team" argued the blue gem on Loki's scepter began to glow brightly (Y/n) turned to the source of power, taking a few slow steps towards it. The dark thoughts from earlier returned, stronger and louder this time due to the tension in the room.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos."

"It's his M-O, isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're...we're a time-bomb," Banner explained.

"Tension, weakness of the mind, it only extends our power."

"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?" Steve questioned Tony angrily.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Tony stated smugly.

(Y/n)'s brows furrowed Playboy? Philanthropist? They didn't have words like that on Asgard.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you," Steve challenged, "Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire."

"You may not be a threat but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero? Like you? You're a laboratory experiment Rogers, everything special about you came from a bottle."

_They're near._

(Y/n)'s head snapped towards the scepter. She took a few steps towards it. The rest of the group was too absorbed in their arguing to notice how close she was.

"Who?" She questioned, though a bad feeling in her stomach cued her in.

_You feel them too. You know why they've come._

(Y/n) took a panicked step back.

"You people are so petty... and tiny."

The computer beeped, signaling it had located the Tesseract. Only Banner noticed, and he moved to the device, looking over the coordinates.

"Enough." (Y/n) said, but they just kept fighting.

"Oh my God," Banner stated, obviously concerning the location of the Tesseract.

"I said enough!"

_BOOM!_


	13. Butterfly Effect

(Y/n) groaned, sitting up and removing a piece of glass that had embedded itself in her arm. Throwing it to the side she looked to Fury, who had his gun raised.

"I didn't do this Sir Fury," (Y/n) assured, "This explosion originated from someone else somewhere else."

Fury pressed his earpiece, "Hill?"

_"Turn up that engine! Number 3 engine is down! Can we get a run in? Talk to me...We lose one more engine, we won't be. Somebody's got to get inside and patch that engine."_

"Stark! You copy that?" Fury yelled into his comm.

_"I'm on it!"_

"Coulson! Initiate official lock down in the detention section then get to the armory! Move out!"

"This was Loki's plan," (Y/n) looked at her bloodied arm with a frown, "He means to bring down your defenses."

A small look of panic crossed over Fury's face before he began to speaker again.

"Then use your ancient power and deal with it."

(Y/n) opened her mouth to correct Fury before deciding against it. She ran from the room, trying to remember the way to Loki's cell. In all this panic her trained mind was blanking.

_ROAR!_

Mr Banner must have lost control then. She paused in the middle of the hallway, thinking over her options. Help repair the large ship, watch Loki, or help stop the Hulk.

The ship shaking violently again gave her her answer. (Y/n) ran a hand over her face, knowing that whatever choice she made, in this case, fixing the ship, there would be consequences for not picking one or the other. Mine as well pick the one that would help the most people at the moment.

"Why do I feel as though I'll live to regret this?" (Y/n) asked herself as she approached the broken engine.

"Mr. America?" She called, spotting Steve stuck behind a small section of metal as Loki's agents were shooting at him began to shoot at her instead.

(Y/n) raised her hands, creating a shimmering shield around her body. Frowning at the irksome agents she waved her hands, sending them off balance and off of the ship. Fury stated that they were going to be over water, it was a better chance of survival for them.

"What do I need to do?" (Y/n) asked.

_"I removed most of the shrapnel, but there's some lodged in the control area. I'm stuck here and Capsicle is waiting for my word."_

"I understand," (Y/n) jumped onto the place nearest the turbine, spotting the large shrapnel Tony was talking about.

Wrapping her hands around what she could she placed her boot against the wall next to the control, pushing and pulling at the same time in an effort to remove the damage. With a loud _shroom!_ The metal slid out of the panel. (Y/n) stumbled back, grabbing onto the railing next to her to keep her balance.

"It's out Tony," (Y/n) stated.

_"Cap, pull the lever!"_

Steve pulled down the large red leve, temporarily slowing down the turbines long enough for Tony to slip out before she was shredded.

(Y/n) let out a small breath of relief, looking over. She spotted a SHIELD ship leaving the bay, the doors slowly closing.

Even through the distance (Y/n) could see Loki inside, and she knew he was looking at her as well.

"Loki got out," (Y/n) mumbled, "Damn! Of course this was his plan. Weaken the large so only the small remain. It's Asgardian battle strategy."

_"Agent Coulson is down. Paramedics are here."_

Anxiety bloomed in (Y/n)'s stomach as she knew what was going to happen. This was the consequence of not watching Loki. If she had gone there, perhaps Coulson would be well, but then again, they may be in the water instead of above it.

_"They called it."_

(Y/n) let out a breath, closing her eyes for a few moments. Coulson was the first SHIELD agent she met on earth, And while their start wasn't well, she considered him a friend. Not only that, but this was the first person Loki had killed in his current state. Maybe...Maybe his mind truly was gone.

No. She couldn't think like that. Not when she had seen his true ind fighting against it's cage less than an hour earlier. Her Loki was still there, and she would get him back. No matter what it took. They would have their future together.

Everyone sat or stood around their meeting table after being ushered there by Fury, everyone being her, Tony and Steve, everyone else was gone.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them," Fury threw Phil's trading cards down on the table, they were stained with his blood, "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming."

Fury paused, and (Y/n) stood up from her seat, too anxious to keep sitting.

"Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called The Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

"Heroes exist Sir Fury, but that doesn't mean that they work well together," (Y/n) stated before following Tony, who had left the room.

(Y/n) found Tony standing over the empty cell container. She walked up next to him, trying to find encouraging words.

"Was Son of Coul married?"

"No. There was a uh...cellist, I think."

"He seemed like a good person," Steve came up on Tony's other side.

"He was an idiot."

"For believing?"

"For facing Loki alone."

"I never believed that Loki would kill someone," (Y/n) whispered, "But then again this isn't the Loki I know."

"Still holding onto that hope?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"Hope is all we have," (Y/n) mumbled, "This Loki...He wants to be worshipped. He wants the recognition he didn't get on Asgard. He wants parades and festivals and he wants his name to be known...That's it! Tony, _your_ tower with your name on it."

Realization flashed in Tony and Steve's eyes as they thought about (Y/n)'s words and how much sense they made.

"Son of a bitch," Tony said simply, "We've got to get Natasha and a pilot and get to New York."

"I'll go get her," (Y/n) offered.

As she walked down the hall she began to think over just how far gone Loki could be. He had killed for the first time, but moments before he had been fighting. Like she had said to Tony, there was still hope.

"Natasha? We must leave," (Y/n) peeked her head into the room Nat was in with Clint.

"Go where?"

"Where are we going?"

"We'll explain on the way. Do you know someone able to fly a ship?"

"I can," Clint exited the bathroom, pausing and becoming defensive.

"I understand your hesitation Clint, but I'm on your side," (Y/n) assured.

"It's true lint, we wouldn't be in the air if it weren't for her," Nat added.

Clint nodded hesitantly, watching (Y/n) carefully as he walked past her. She knew it would be a journey to trust when it came to him.

She knew the group must have looked dramatic and incredible as they walked towards a jet. All of them were suited up and obviously ready for battle. They approached the nearest jet, being stopped by a young pilot.

"You are not authorized to be here-"

"Son, just don't."

Tony took off ahead of the jet, being lighter and faster.

 _"Before we all most likely die, does anyone want to say something encouraging?"_ Tony asked.

"On Asgard before we go into battle we ask that the Allfathers that came before stay with us in our battle. Now, more than ever, we need that blessing."

All was silent, though (Y/n) knew that they agreed with her words.


	14. Battle of the Chitauri

The entire ride to the city (Y/n) was twisting the ring on her finger, no doubt cleaning the inner rim thoroughly through her nervous movement. As the quinjet approached, (Y/n) could see the Chitauri already invading.

"Stark, we're heading north east," Nat reported.

_"What, did you stop for drive-thru? Swing up park, I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."_

Tony flew by with a small amount of Chitauri following him. Nat dropped the guns and began to shoot the aliens.

Clint turned the ship and began to fly towards Stark Tower. Loki aimed the scepter at the jet and let out a shot, taking out one of the engines. The jet spun slowly, crashing to the ground.

(Y/n) was the first to exit the ship, looking up at Stark Tower where Loki was staying. She would take ou tas many Chitauri as she could while trying to get to Loki.

When the team exited the ship everything seemed to stop. A deep, primal rage bellowed out. A large shadow overcame the group as they looked up. A creature that could only be described as a flying Leviathan flew out of the portal. On top of the creature was hundreds of soldiers.

The soldiers jumped from the creature, attaching themselves to the sides of buildings and shooting at innocent civilians.

"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve asked.

_"I'm seeing, still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"_

"Banner?"

 _"Just keep me posted,"_ Tony sighed.

(Y/n) drew her sword, looking around them and creating a plan. (Y/n) drew her sword and stepped to the edge of the bridge. She was ready to jump onto the road below before Clint calling her name stopped her.

"(Y/n), you can call me Clint."

(Y/n) smiled brightly. It was polite to call those around her by their last names until they were given permission to call them otherwise. She had to be sophisticated to fit in with the royal family after all.

"Thank you."

(Y/n) jumped down to the street below. She immediately lunged at a few Chitauri around her, either fatally injuring them or killing them entirely. Steve followed after her, talking to the police for a few moments before returning to the battle.

(Y/n) spotted a bus full of people trying to gain refuge from the aliens. She waved her hand and summoned her shield, using it to pry open the doors.

"Everyone you must leave now, go into a basement or a subway!" She ordered.

As the people flooded out of the vehicle and onto the street Steve and (Y/n) worked together to make sure none of the Chitauri hurt the people.

"Are you an angel?" A little boy she was helping out asked.

"I'm Asgardian," (Y/n) corrected, "Now go to your mother."

(Y/n) glanced up at Stark Tower. She had to pick up her pace if she was going to make it up there before all of this was over.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked Thor as he landed near the pair.

"The powers surrounding the cube is impenetrable."

"Thor is right. We gotta deal with these guys."

"How do we do this?" Nat questioned.

"As a team."

"I must get to Loki as soon as possible," (Y/n) stated.

"Might have to wait. Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us-"

Steve stopped talking as Banner neared the small group on a motorbike. Getting off and putting on the brake he looked around the city and the destruction that had been caused.

"So, this all seems horrible."

"You should have seen our battle on Jotunheim, what a failure that was," (Y/n) chuckled.

"Stark? We got him."

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."

Iron Man flew out from behind a building, a Chitauri Leviathan following behind him in an attempt to most likely eat him.

"I...I don't see how that's a party," Nat said in confusion.

"Dr. Banner. Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry."

Banner walked towards the alien, changing into the Hulk in the way and destroying the creature's face. (Y/n) ducked under her shield as scrapage from the creatures armor fell around them.

From above, thousand of Chitauri flew into the city. (Y/n) looked up in annoyance.

"Dear gods Loki, you could at least try harder to gain control," she grumbled, singing background and slicing a Chitauri soldier across the stomach.

_"Cap? Wanna call it?"_

"If I may, Captain, you may know this city but I know war," (Y/n) turned to Steve, "Clint, take the skies, Steve, Nat, work down here, I'll make my way to Loki. Tony, keep them contained in the sky. Thor, slow them down before the can even reach the city. I'll make my way to Loki and put an end to all of this. Hulk...Well do what you do best I suppose."

The team broke up into their sections, ready to defend the city, and potentially the Earth, with their lives. It seems as though their fighting was over now that there was a clear, common enemy.

(Y/n) sliced and diced her way through the Chitauri on the ground, occasionally taking one out in the sky with a bit of magic to help her.

She reached Stark Tower, easily walking through the front doors on the ground floor. You'd think the building would be more guarded than that.

She walked to what she presumed was the elevator, pressing the button for the highest floor.

_"Authorization is required for access to the penthouse."_

"Tony's computer friend, thing, it is I, (Y/n)."

_"Tony has a preset identification: Powerhouse. Approved."_

"I wonder when Stark had the time to do that," (Y/n) asked herself as the elevator began to slowly climb the floor.

In the time it took to reach the top, (Y/n) had cleaned off her sword and shield, partially shined her armor, and thought of ideas for her wedding vows. It was a surprisingly peaceful time compared to the battle she knew must be going on outside.

"Loki," (Y/n) yelled as soon as the doors opened.

"Oh, love, how wonderful to see you. Have you come for forgiveness?' Loki questioned.

"I've come to kick your ass," (Y/n) growled. She had already picked up colorful language from the Midgardians it seemed, "Natasha brought Clint back that way. I thought I could do the same with you."

"No more pleading for my sanity?" Loki smirked. He held out his scepter and let out a shot.

(Y/n) held out her shield, letting it take the blow. Taking a page out of Captain America's book she threw her shield in Loki's direction, hitting his arm and causing him to drop his scepter. (Y/n)'s hands glowed red and she was ready to advance on him before he jumped off the edge of the roof.

Worried, (Y/n) ran forward, sighing in relief when she saw Loki on a cruiser. She had feared the worst for a few moments. Though a fall from this height wasn't likely to kill an Asgardian, it could seriously injure them.

(Y/n) looked up at the machine powering the portal and down at Loki's scepter. The two were connected. They had to be.

She grabbed the scepter, despite her instincts telling her to avoid the vile weapon at all costs. She took a flight of service stairs up to the highest level of the building, nearly runnin ginto Selvig as he came back to reality.

"Erik, are you alright?"

"I can't believe I did this!" He put his hands on his head.

"Tell me how to stop it dear friend," (Y/n) nearly begged.

"I built in a failsafe. The scepter can destroy the center, it will close the portal."

(Y/n) pressed a finger to the com in her ear.

"Everyone, while Loki got away, I have found a way to close the portal.

 _"I watched the Hulk take care of him. He won't be moving anytime soon,"_ Nat assured.

_"I'm carrying a nuke ready to destroy the city. Powerhouse, keep that portal open, understand?"_

"You must hurry Stark."

(Y/n) pushed the point of the scepter passed the shield surrounding the main power of the portal. She watched anxiously as Tony flew the deadly Midgardian missile into the portal. She wouldn't close the portal until he got out. She couldn't. Not after how valiantly he had fought.

_"Close it."_

(Y/n) sighed sadly. She knew if she waited any longer more Chitauri reinforcements could enter the city. Swiping the scepter she knocked the power out of place, closing the portal.

(Y/n) spotted a small figure fall from the portal, hurtling towards the Earth. She grinned happily. Tony had fallen through just in time. The luck of that man was unbelievable.

"Selvig, take the elevator down, there will be people to help you there," (Y/n) assured, putting hand on her friend's shoulder, "What you did wasn't you. I hope you can understand that what Loki did wasn't him either."

Selvig went ahead of (Y/n), taking one of the two elevators down to the streets below. (Y/n) walked over to Loki, sitting next to him on the step as he tried to recover from the beating he had received form the Hulk.

"Are you my Loki?"

"If I say yes will you not hit me, darling?"

(Y/n) grinned, laughing happily. Cognitive recalibration. Who knew?

"You will pay for your crimes," (Y/n)'s smile left her face, "I will speak of your innocence and of the control you were put under but-"

"No, don't," Loki sighed, "The Allfather already thought me weak. Him knowing I was able to be controlled would extend that."

"Loki-"

"Darling please, I will not be forgiven either way."

(Y/n) nodded in agreement. She heard one of the elevator ding and looked over to see the Avengers in all of their hero glory. They made a formation around Loki, ready to attack if he tried anything.

"If it's all the same to you. I'll have that drink now."

~*~

(Y/n) stepped out of the SHIELD provided truck that brought her to the agreed upon meeting spot for the Avengers. Her and Thor had spent the last week communicating with the council of safety on what could be done better for the future and what they planned to do with Loki and the cube. Now, they were ready to go home.

"Farewell Selvig," (Y/n) hugged the man, "I hope we meet again in the future. Goodbye Avengers, I'm sure we shall all come together again."

(Y/n) grabbed the Tesseract from Tony, holding it out for Loki and Thor to take.

As they put their hands on the device (Y/n) twisted her end, sending them back into space.   
Back to Asgard more specifically, where Loki would be tried for his crimes, and punished, harshly most likely.

It was a fate worse than death for (Y/n), knowing Loki was being punished for things outside of his control.


	15. Loki's Imprisonment

**The Time of Bor, Many Years Ago**

_"Long before the birth of light there was darkness, and from that darkness, came the Dark Elves,"_ a single light shone down on a Dark Elf, _"Millennia ago, the most ruthless of their kind, Malekith, sought to transform our universe back into one of eternal night._ "

The sky seemed to open up above Malekith, showing the Nine Realms aligning in the sky. All of them looking more like cities on clouds than actual realms.

_"Such evil was possible through the power of the Aether, on the Reality Stone, now an ancient force of infinite destruction as it waited for its master's return."_

"Malekith," Algrim turned to Malekith as he walked onto the balcony, he began to speak in their Elven tongue, "Asgard's forces are upon us."

The Bifrost crashed down, Asgardian soldiers running towards the Elven soldiers.

_"The noble armies of Asgard, led by my father, King Bor, waged a mighty war against these creatures."_

"Send the Kursed," Malekith ordered.

Large monstrous elves jumped out of the shadows and began to attack the Asgardian soldiers.

_"As the Nine Worlds converged above him, Malekith could at last unleash the Aether..."_

Malekith opened the chamber of the Aether, reaching out for the dark substance. The substance hesitated, floating in its place. This wasn't its true owner, but the Aether couldn't sense the owner anywhere. Its owner didn't even exist. It had to lie in wait.

The Bifrost struck down just in front of Malekith, knocking him back and away from the Aether.

_"But just as he was going to use it, the weapon was ripped from his grasp."_

Malekith fell to his knees at the absence of the Aether, killing every Asgardian that neared him.

_"Without it, the Dark Elves fell. I a desperate attempt to save his own life, Malekith killed his own people to try to kill Asgard's army."_

"Their death will be our survival," Malekith told his companion.

_"Malekith was vanquished and the Aether was locked away where no normal being could reach it, or so we were lead to believe."_

"Sir, shall we destroy it?"

"If only we could," King Bor sighed, "But its power is too great. Bury it deep, deep enough that no one can find it. And so the Aether can not find its true owner, for if they have bad intentions, we have no chance."

**Now**

(Y/n) watched in muted silence as Loki was brought before the Allfather in chains. The muzzle was gone at the very least, which was a relief, but he wasn't free.

(Y/n) wasn't even supposed to be watching this exchange. She was supposed to be preparing herself for battle. One of the last battles before she was given her true power, as the preparations were being made for her to receive her birthright. The Reality Stone.

_"Loki," Frigga said softly, no anger or disappointment in her tone. She was picking at the palm of her left hand, a nervous habit that she and Loki shared._

_"Hello, mother. Have I made you proud?_

_"Please, don't make this worse," Frigga all but begged._

_"Define worse."_

_"Enough!" Odin snapped, "I will speak to the prisoner alone."_

_Frigga nodded, quickly leaving the throne room. (Y/n) knew she was likely to continue to watch like she was._

_"I really don't see what all the fuss is about," Loki laughed, walking closer to Odin._

_"Do you not truly feel the gravity of your crimes? Wherever you go there is war, ruin and death."_

_"I went down to Midgard to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent god. Just like you," Loki said dismissively._

(Y/n) clenched her fist. If Loki was just a little less stubborn and headstrong, then she knew she could convince him to beg for Odin's forgiveness. To inform him that he was under control. (Y/n) knew of he torture he went through. They way he was weakened when he first arrived on Midgard, barely able to walk.

Despite Loki's instruction on Midgard, she plead his case to Odin who dismissed it in his anger.

_"We are not gods. We are born, we live, we die. Just as humans do."_

_"Give or take 5000 years," Loki chuckled._

_"All this because Loki desires a throne."_

_Loki held back his argument. That all he wanted was to be equal to Thor._

_"It is my birthright," Loki decided on saying._

_"Your birthright was to die!" Odin yelled, "Cast out onto a frozen rock. If I had not taken you in you would not be here now to hate me."_

_"If I am for the axe, then for mercy's sake, just swing it. It's not that I don't love our little talks, it's just... I don't love them."_

_"Frigga and (Y/n) are the only reasons you are still alive and you will never see them again. You will spend the rest of your days in the dungeons."_

_Loki's face fell at his father's word. Even though (Y/n)'s betrayal - something he knew was coming, and was hoping for, needing the freedom from his chains - she stayed by his side and convinced the others to keep him alive. She still loved him despite the monster he became._

_"And what of Thor?" Loki asked as he was being pulled away, "You put that witless oaf on the throne while I'm left to rot in chains?"_

_"Thor must seek to undo the damage you have done. He will bring order to the Nine Realms, then, yes, he will be king."_

"(Y/n), come on!"

(Y/n) shook her head, bringing herself back to Vanaheim. She wiggled her fingers, running onto the battlefield. Her goal wasn't to fight, that was for Sif and the Warriors Three. She was to keep the people safe from the enemy.

Immediately she put shields around the people in the center of the fight, urging them to move to the safety of the treeline until everything was under control and they could return safely.

As she was helping a mother and her young son she saw the Bifrost open. She grinned as Thor entered the battle, taking out several enemy soldiers within the first thirty seconds of his arrival.

"I had this under control," Sif growled.

"Is that why everything's on fire?" Thor asked sarcastically.

Everything on the battlefield became silent as a roar rang through the air. (Y/n) groaned, just as they were winning. She dropped her hands to her sides, looking over at the Kronan that slowly approached them.

"All yours," she told Thor.

"Hello," Thor greeted, approaching the creature, "I accept your surrender."

All the men laughed at what seemed to be a joke. Thor chuckled as well, swinging his hammer up and destroying the Kronan.

The men stopped their laughing, all looking at each other as they dropped their weapons and knelt down to the ground as a surrender. (Y/n) rolled her eyes, if she had her Infinity Stone the battle would have been much easier to say the least.

"Perhaps next time we should start with the big one," Fandral suggested.

They rounded up all of the thugs and allowed the Asgardian soldiers to take care of them and put them in the local prisons until they could be processed and punished correctly.

(Y/n) began to assist Hogun in stacking wood that had been knocked over. She worked as quickly as she could so she would be able to return to Asgard sooner rather than later.

"Will you be okay without me?"

"We'll be fine. Now go to Asgard. Loki awaits."

(Y/n) grinned, giving Sif a quick thank you and a hug before running up the hill to meet Thor as he summoned the Bifrost.

"You're forbidden to see him," Thor told (Y/n), "Heimdall!"

"Since when has the rules ever stopped me?" (Y/n) asked as the Bifrost opened, bringing the two back to Asgard.

~*~

(Y/n) walked through the bustling halls of the palace. She was supposed to be planning her receival ceremony. Instead, she was going to sneak into the dungeons to see Loki.

Before she went to the dungeon she stopped at her room. She bathed and changed into a dress. Light purple. It was the color she felt safest with at the time. Blue was the Tesseract, red was the blood spilt, and green was Loki's armor. Yes, purple was nice.

(Y/n) walked to the library, seeming as inconspicuous as she could. Servants passed her and gave respectful nods and curtsies before continuing on their way.

(Y/n) always loved the library. It was peaceful and somewhere Thor refused to go, in the past at least. It was old fashioned and had the largest selection of books she had ever seen. Some written in languages long dead. Some in languages still developing.

(Y/n) picked a few certain books out. All from Midgardian authors like Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, classic authors she had heard of during her time there.

She walked to a selection near the back, untouched and dusty. Her eyes scanned over the books, searching for the one she knew held the way.

"'How to Be a Queen'," Frigga said from at the end of the shelf, "That's the book you're looking for."

"Thank you," (Y/n) quickly located the book after being given the name, "Would you like to see him as well?"

"My husband knows of my knowledge of the secrets of the palace," Frigga sighed, "I am all but blocked off when it comes to visiting him in person."

(Y/n) nodded, running her finger over the binding of the book. When she blinked again she was no longer in the library, instead in the hallway of the dungeon.

"Lady (Y/n) you are not permitted-"

"Go back to your post," (Y/n) ordered, a red-gold mist running through the air.

"Yes, Lady (Y/n)."

(Y/n) passed through the hall of the dungeon, changing any monitors in the area so that she would never have been there, and Loki would have had no visitors.

"I was told that you were forbidden from seeing me," Loki said, walking to the barrier between the two.

"Since when has that stopped me?"

(Y/n) placed her hand on the barrier and passed through easily. She set the books she had gathered down on the table in Loki's cell. Now that she was actually inside she took the chance to look around.

"The bed could be better," she snapped her fingers and the cot was turned into a twin-sized bed with nice blankets.

"Thank you darling, but you really shouldn't be here," Loki said quietly.

"Where else would I be? The preparations for the receiving ceremony are all so boring and-"

"(Y/n)," Loki interrupted, "You shouldn't be here, with me. Look what I did to Midgard, the people I harmed. And all for a title I never really desired."

"We both know why you did what you did. What they did to you," (Y/n) placed a hand on Loki's pale cheek, "You have been told time and time again that you are not worthy of what you have worked your entire life to achieve, that Thor was your better in every aspect. If that were true then I would be with him instead of you right now."

Loki closed his eyes and leaned into (Y/n)'s hand, allowing her words to sink in. Never, no matter what happened or what he did, did her loyalty to him falter. It was that loyalty that had hurt them more than once, but in the end both of them knew the pain was worth it, for even the smallest moments like this one.

(Y/n) and Loki stayed together until nightfall, speaking of the old time and of the peace that was arriving in the Nine Realms. (Y/n) confessed how nervous she was about the upcoming events. The largest, was obviously her Infinity stone ceremony.

"You'll do wonderful, darling," Loki reassured, "You'll be the most powerful being in the universe."

"That's what I'm scared of. Too much power, losing control, all of it," (Y/n) sighed, "I just wish you were there by my side."

"I wish I could be by your side as well."

"Nightfall," (Y/n) mumbled, sensing the change in time, "I must go. But I return as soon as I can."

"I love you," Loki pulled (Y/n) in for a long kiss, trying to keep her there as long as he could.

"I love you too Loki," (Y/n) pulled away, "Farewell."


	16. The Aether

Thor approached Heimdall as he looked out from the Bifrost. They were celebrating their victory on Vanaheim. (Y/n) had just arrived at the festivities, agreeing to distract the others while Thor went to talk to Heimdall. He knew she was visiting Loki. She had never been one to follow rules that didn't fit her liking.

"You're late," Heimdall stated when Thor entered.

"Merriment can sometimes be a heavier burden than battle."

"Then you're doing one of them incorrectly."

Thor huckled, "Perhaps. How fare the stars?"

"Still shining. From here I can see Nine Realms and ten trillion souls," Heimdall shifted his sword before looking to Thor, "You recall what I told you of the Convergence?"

"Yes, the alignment of the worlds. It approaches, doesn't it?"

"The universe hasn't seen this marvel since before my watch began," Heimdall stated, "It is the night of (Y/n)'s ceremony, only adding to the power she may hold...Few can sense, even fewer can see it. Though it can be dangerous, it is truly beautiful."

"I see nothing."

"Or perhaps that is not the beauty you seek."

"How is she?" Thor asked.

"She's quite clever, your mortal. She doesn't know it yet, but she studies the Convergence as well. Even-" Heimdall stopped, looking out at the stars.

"What?"

"I can't see her."

It was as though Jane was drowning in nothing. All that surrender her being was red, a deep, blood, red. Her eyes were closed, but she felt the Aether moving in and out of her body.

"This is not our master," it hissed, she could hear it in her mind. It was like hundreds of voices overlapping each other. The same power, the same overall mind, but different thoughts, just like other living beings.

"No, but she knows of her. We shall stay."

Jane opened her eyes. She groaned as she sat up. She was in a different building than the one she had entered the portal from. It was now light out.

Jane left the building, walking down to the main level. Darcy was speaking to a police officer.

"Darcy!" She called.

"Jane? Thank God," Darcy ran to her friend. It suddenly began to rain, thunder rumbling above.

"What the hell are you doing? You called the police?" Jane asked angrily, "They'll call the feds, and SHIELD will Area Fifty-One this! We had access to a controlled gravitational anomaly. Our only competition was ten year olds!"

"Jane you were gone for five hours."

Jane's brows furrowed in confusion, "What?"

Jane and Darcy finally took notice of the fact that they were completely dry in the sudden pouring rain. Looking around them they saw a clear circle. Jane looked to the side, grinning when she saw (Y/n) and Thor standing there.

"See Thor, she's fine," (Y/n) said to Thor, who had dragged her along in worry that there was something larger going on once again.

Jane walked towards Thor, leaving her in the rain, "Typical."

Jane slapped Thor loudly across the face. (Y/n) chuckled, glad Thor got something for dragging her along on what seemed to be a wild goose chase.

"I'm sorry, I just had to make sure you were real," she apologized before slapping him again, "Where were you?"

"Where were you? Heimdall cannot see you."

"I was right where you left me. I was waiting, then I was crying, then I went looking for you. You said you'd come back."

"I know, I know. But the Bifrost was destroyed, the Nine Realms erupted into war, marauders were pillaging."

"Okay, as excuses go that isn't terrible. But I saw you on TV, you were in New York!"

"I fought to protect you from the dangers of my world. I realize I was wrong. I believe fate brought us together. I realize..."

"You do?"

"What?"

Thor and Jane got closer, ready to kiss before Darcy ran over.

"Hey, is this you?" She asked, the rain suddenly stopped.

"We were kind of in the middle of something," Jane told Darcy.

"I'm pretty sure we're getting arrested."

"Hang on," Jane sighed, running over to the police.

"Alright, you had your reunion, how long do you plan on staying?" (Y/n) asked, "Jane is fine, perhaps with the convergence approaching Heimdall's sight shifts. Speaking of Convergence there's a ceremony we must plan, perhaps-"

(Y/n)'s eyes widened and she cut herself off. Her chest began to tighten as she felt something calling out to her, her Infinity Stone. It had called to her on occasion as long as she could remember, but this was different. It was so close, so strong. Like it was right...

"Dear Gods," (Y/n) mumbled in realization.

"What is it (Y/n)?" Thor asked.

He got his answer when a large explosion rang through the air. (Y/n) ran to Jane, easily placing her hands on her cheeks.

"Oh Jane," (Y/n) whispered, helping her up, "This isn't good. This is not good."

"Put your hands behind your head," an officer ordered.

"This woman is unwell," Thor stated.

"She's dangerous, I need an armed squad as backup."

"Hold on to me," Thor ordered Jane, summoning the Bifrost.

The three traveled up the Bifrost, seeing the universe faintly outside. (Y/n) glanced at Jane worriedly. Her Infinity Stone, or the Aether as she hadn't the chance to purify it, had taken refuge inside of Jane. She didn't understand how, or why. With the ceremony so close, it would be within its proper owner soon. Why the new operator?

"We have to do that again," Jane said as they landed in the Bifrost Chamber, she turned to Heimdall, "Hi."

"Welcome to Asgard."

The two Asgardians took Jane to the Asgardian physicians, making her lay down on a table while they looked her over.

"What's that?" Jane asked curiously.

"Be still."

"This is not of earth, what is it?"

"I do not know. But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her."

"It's the Reality Stone," (Y/n) whispered, it must have sensed the Convergence approaching. I don't understand why it would take place in Jane when it was so close to coming to me though."

"Can you remove it?" Thor questioned.

"I can try, but as of this moment the stone, the Aether, has its own mind. I can't control it, only communicate.

"That's a quantum field generator, isn't it?" Jane asked.

"It's a Soul Forge," Eir corrected.

"Does a Soul Forge transfer molecular energy from one place to another?"

"Yes," Eir said in shock.

"Quantum field generator," Jane whispered.

"My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?" Odin asked from the entrance of the room.

"She's ill," Thor explained.

"She is mortal. Illness is their defining trait."

"I brought her here so that we may heal her."

"She does not belong here in Asgard anymore than a goat belongs at a banquet table."

"Did he just- Who do you think you are?" Jane asked angrily.

"I'm Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms."

"Oh. Well I'm-"

"I know very well who you are, Jane Foster. Her world has its healers, Thor, they're called doctors, let them deal with it. Guards, take her back to Midgard."

The guards were pushed back from a large blast of energy. Jane fell back to the table, unconscious.

"Odin, she holds my Infinity Stone," (Y/n) explained.

"Impossible," Odin muttered.

"It's defending her."

"No, it's defending itself."

"(Y/n), remove what is rightfully yours," Odin ordered.

(Y/n) cautiously stepped forward, running her hand up Jane's arm. She could feel it, the power. It was calling to her, begging for her to remove it from the weak mortal body, so that it may be in its proper form.

"Leave her body," (Y/n) ordered.

Jane screamed in pain as the Aether began to leave her body. (Y/n) panicked as she heard the Aether speak.

 _"Kill the weak,"_ it hissed.

"No!" she yelled, and Jane stopped her screaming, "Don't kill her."

_"She is not worthy of your presence, of the power you deserve."_

(Y/n) stepped back, "I cannot remove the Aether without killing her. It refuses to keep her alive. I do not control it yet."

"What's the Aether?" Jane asked weakly, "Why is (Y/n) the only one it likes?"

"Come with me," Odin led the three to a different room in the palace, "There are relics that predate the universe itself. What lies within her appears to be one of them. The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn as they will have a dusk. But before that dawn the dark forces, the Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged."

"'Born of eternal night, the Dark Elves comes to steal away your light,'" Thor read from the book Odin had pulled out, "They were these stories mother told us as children."

"Their leader, Malekith made a weapon out of that darkness, it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appeared as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever changing. It changes matter into dark matter and seeks out to host bodies, drawing strength from their life force," Odin sighed, "On the day of the Convergence (Y/n) was to purify and receive the stone, so she may wield it. But it appears as though the Aether has taken refuge in you as it searched for (Y/n).

"Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness. But after eternities of blood shed, my father Bor, finally triumphed, ushering in the peace that lasted thousands of years. By killing them all."

"Are you certain? The Aether was said to be secure yet here it is."

"The Dark Elves are dead," Odin said surely.

"No," Odin shook his head, "(Y/n) can draw it out, but not in a way that will allow you to keep your life."

"We'll find a way Jane," (Y/n) assured, "Perhaps I can convince the Aether to let you live."

"That's assuring."


	17. Frigga's Death

"Odin continues to bring me new friends. How...thoughtful," Loki narrowed his eyes as he watched a new set of prisoners be brought into the Asgard dungeons.

"Are you enjoying the books?" Frigga asked, appearing in Loki's cell with (Y/n) next to her.

"Is that how I'm to while away eternity, reading?"

"I've done everything in my power to make you comfortable, Loki."

"Have you? Does Odin share your concern? Does Thor?" Loki questioned, "It must be so inconvenient them asking after me day and night."

"You know full well it was your actions that brought you here," Frigga stated.

"My actions. I was merely giving truth to the lie that I had been fed my entire life, that I was born to be a king," Loki found a loophole with the truth.

"A king? A true king admits his faults. What of the lives you took on Earth?"

"A mere handful compared to the number that Odin has taken himself."

"Your father-"

"He's not my father!" Loki screamed.

"Then am I not your mother?"

"No," Loki said after a moment's pause. (Y/n)'s mouth fell open in shock. Frigga gave a pained smile at Loki's harsh statement.

"Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself."

Frigga's hologram slowly disappeared from the cell. (Y/n) turned towards Loki, murder in her eyes.

"You are the God of mischief and lies, able to trick anyone but yourself and your fiance. She's your mother Loki, you know that. And perhaps if you told the truth behind your working with the Chitauri-"

"And start yet another war that I shall be blamed for?" Loki chuckled.

(Y/n) stayed silent for a moment before speaking again, "Just remember who you can't lie to."

(Y/n) reappeared in her chambers. She set out, looking for Frigga. She found her on one of the balconies, speaking with Jane.

"He lies," she told the Queen of Asgard quietly.

"Only you could ever tell the difference," Frigga smiled.

"Jane," (Y/n) turned to Jane, "Why don't we show you where you'll be staying now htat-"

Alarms began to sound around the palace. (Y/n) looked up, that had never happened before.

"The prisons," Frigga looked to Thor, "Go, I will look after her."

"As will I," (Y/n) added, "Us ladies must stay together."

Thor nodded, running and jumping off of the balcony to join the fight. The three left to go find Odin and hopefully work out what exactly was going on.

"Odin," Frigga said gently as he was giving orders.

"Just a skirmish," Odin assured.

"You were always a bad liar."Sif passed by with some of the soldiers. The warrior smiled at (Y/n) and gave her a nod, glaring at Jane as she passed. Poor Sif, such a beautiful woman stuck on a man who saw her as a sister.

"I don't think she likes me," Jane whispered to (Y/n).

"Yes, she um..." (Y/n) looked for an excuse, "She's concerned of the danger you pose."

Frigga led the girls past the soldiers as she was done talking to Odin. She stole a sword from one of them.

"Listen to me now, both of you, whatever I say, you must do." Frigga ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Jane nodded in agreement.

(Y/n) summoned her battle armor to her. Something didn't feel right. The same pit in her stomach that she got when the Frost Giants attacked formed in her stomach.

Jane was hidden away in a separate room that (Y/n) and Frigga, a much safer room than the one they were going into. As (Y/n) and Frigga ran to their room, they heard several explosions and signs of fighting from outside. This wasn't just a prison problem, this was a full blown attack on Asgard.

They reached the safe room and created a Jane illusion. (Y/n) tapped her foot in anticipation, waves of nausea running over her as the bad feeling intensified.

The door to the safe room opened. A Dark Elf entered. Odin seemed to be continuously wrong at the moment. (Y/n) stood to fight, but Frigga pushed her back. Sending her a look that told her if she moved she would regret it.

"Stand down creature, and you may just survive," Frigga threatened.

"Stand back, woman," the creature growled.

"Who are you?"

"I am Malekith. And I am here for what is rightfully mine."

"The Aether is not yours," (Y/n) kept Jane behind her.

Frigga swung up with her sword, starting what would become her last fight. Her and Malekith exchanged several hits and doges, Frigga using her speed against Malekith.

"Look out!" (Y/n) yelled as Frigga was picked up by Kurse.

Malekith turned towards the two, walking towards them. (Y/n) held out her hand threateningly. Malekith smirked, his eyes scanning her over, keeping on the markings on her face.

"The true owner," Malekith grinned, "So you walk the Realms once again. I wonder, should I kill or control you." Malekith pushed (Y/n) down the stairs, reaching out for Jane. The hologram disappeared, only (Y/n) and Frigga knowing her true location.

"Where is the Aether?"

"I'll never tell you."

"I know."

Frigga was stabbed through the back by Kurse. (Y/n) screamed, standing up.

"No!" Thor yelled, throwing his hammer at Malekith as he entered the room.

Kurse grabbed Malekith and jumped off the balcony. Thor ran after the pair as (Y/n) ran to Frigga.

"Frigga, Frigga, Mother," (Y/n) said in her panic.

"Change him," Frigga whispered, before her eyes closed and she fell limp.

"No, no," (Y/n) cried.

Odin walked slowly into the room, feeling his wife's passing. (Y/n) backed away as Odin knelt down next to her, running a hand over her face.

_"Change him."_

Loki.

~*~

(Y/n) held back her tears as she watched Frigga go on her journey to Valhalla. She was wearing gold, Frigga's favorite color.

Frigga truly looked like the goddess she was on the boat. Surrounded by flowers, holding her sword, peaceful. Every single Asgardian citizen had gathered as their beloved queen was sent on her way.

The archer chosen shot off the flaming arrow, lighting the boat on fire as part of Asgardian funeral tradition. (Y/n) closed her eyes tightly. She should have disobeyed Frigga, killed Malekith where he stood, moved forward sooner, make a shield, done _something_.

But she was stupid, she didn't move. She allowed herself to be detained by a simple push.

Soon, more arrows followed as they mourned the fallen soldiers as well. Odin tapped his staff once on the ground and Frigga's boat was suspended in air for a moment before it fell, her soul ascending to the stars.

(Y/n) lifted her hands, a ball of gold light ascending as well. It was different, from the other white ones. But it was a difference she felt was needed, as the other commemorated their queen and the soldiers, hers commemorated what was lost to the royal family a Mother, and a friend.

~*~

"We are still not able to detect the palace shields. Heimdall can not even see them," Fandral sighed, "My king, we are all but defenseless."

"So Jane is your prisoner?" Thor asked angrily.

"Leave us," Odin ordered the others, they nodded, leaving quickly, "I will not argue with you."

"Nor I with you, but I intend to pursue Malekith."

"We possess the Aether, (Y/n) will communicate until it leaves your precious mortal unharmed. Malekith will come to us."

"They'll destroy us."

"You overestimate the power of these creatures."

"I value the lives of our people," Thor argued.

"Allfather, if I may," (Y/n) stepped forward, "We may bring Jane to the Dark World, draw Malekith away from Asgard. He can draw the Aether out of her safely, and we may destroy him, and I may possess the Reality Stone as it was meant to be."

"If you fail, a great weapon will befall into the hands of our enemies."

"It is a greater risk to not follow the plan," (Y/n) stressed, "His ship could be over the palace right now and we wouldn't even know."

"If, and when he comes, his men will fall on ten thousand Asgardian blades."

"And how many of our men will fall?"

"As many as are needed!" Odin stumbled, "We will fight till the last Asgardian breath. Till the last drop, of Asgardian blood."

"Then how are you different from Malekith?" Thor asked.

Odin chuckled humorlessly, "The difference, is that I will win, my son."

Odin left with his guards. Leaving just Thor and (Y/n).

"Will you be able to convince the Aether to leave Jane peacefully?" Thor asked.

"No," (Y/n) shook her head, "The Aether remains adamant to kill Jane as she is unworthy. Until I can absorb it, it will have a mind of its own."

"Let's go for a drink then," Thor said, surprising (Y/n).

Thor and (Y/n) walked to the nearest Asgardian Brewery, ordering their drinks and sitting down in silence.

"You weren't at the war meeting," Thor said to Heimdall as he walked towards the two.

"The Bifrost is closed by your Father's request. No one is to come, or to go. We face an enemy that is invisible even to me. What use, is a guardian such as that?" Heimdall asked, sitting down.

"One that can save us all," (Y/n) leaned forward, "You need your help."

"I cannot disobey my king's orders, even for you."

"I'm not asking you too. The Allfather is blinded by grief, and by pain."

"As are we all."

"I see clearly enough," Thor spoke in a hushed tone.

"It is too large a risk."

"Everything we do from now on is a risk," Thor pointed out, "But we must do something."

"What do you require of me?"

Once a plan was made with Heimdall (Y/n) spoke to the Warriors Three and Sif, reciting what she told Heimdall, "What we are about to ask is treason of the highest order, but it will save us all. Success will bring exile, failure, death, there is no other way. Malekith can sense the Aether's power just as I can. If it stays here he will return and destroy Asgard. We must move Jane off-world."

"The Bifrost has been shut down and the Tesseract is locked away in the vault," Sif pointed out.

"There are other paths off of Asgard, some very few know," Heimdall spoke what Loki once spoke to him.

"One, actually," Thor corrected.

"No."

"He will betray you," Fandral stated.

"He will try."

"Your Lady is being guarded by a hundred Einherjar, they'll see you coming from a mile away."

"I'm not the one retrieving her," Thor looked at Sif.

"And the Allfather?" Sif asked.

"It is my sworn duty to notify him of crimes against the throne," Heimdall said.

"Assuming you can get Loki's help, and free your mortal, what good would it do We'd all be dead the minute we stepped foot outside the palace," Volstagg stressed.

"That is why we aren't leaving by foot," (Y/n) smirked.

~*~

(Y/n) walked side by side with Thor to an unguarded room. With her knowledge of the cycle she knew they wouldn't be there for the next two minutes. Giving her enough time to grab what she needed if the plan was truly going to work.

"There you are," (Y/n) grabbed the ancient necklace being guarded with the other things for the ceremony.

She waved her hand and made a copy, leaving it in the place of the last necklace. Taking the real necklace and putting it on, tucking the red stone into her shirt.

The necklace was ancient, how old no one really knew. There was no super powerful magic to it. It was meant to hold the darker parts of the Infinity Stones power, the parts (Y/n) wished to store away, like the Aether that she couldn't purify.

If everything was to go to plan, she would need to the necklace.

"I wish you luck in gaining your power," Thor said as they left.

"Thanks, luck is what we need right now."

~*~

"Loki," (Y/n) spoke gently, walking to his cell.

"(Y/n). And Thor, after all this time now you come to visit me. Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock?"

"Loki enough," (Y/n) sighed, "No more illusions."

The illusion of Loki being perfectly was gone, revealing him as he truly was. His cell was a mess, his hair was tousled, his foot was bleeding.

"Now you see me." Thor and (Y/n) walked to the side of the cell, "Did she suffer?"

"I did not come here to share grief."

"She didn't," (Y/n) said, half honest.

"We come here to offer you something richer than fried. Vengeance. I know you sell it as much as I do. Help me escape Asgard and you will receive it, and afterwards, this cell."

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. To trust me."

"I don't," Thor denied the trust he actually did have, "Mother did...Just know when we fought in the past I fought with the hope my brother was still in there somewhere. That hope-"

"Is still there," (Y/n) cut in, "Frigga's last words were 'Change him'. She meant you Loki."

"When do we start?"


	18. Trust My Rage

After (Y/n) had quickly healed and cleaned up Loki - despite his arguments- they were on their way through the palace.

"This is so unlike you, brother. So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?" Loki asked with a teasing grin.

"If you keep speaking I just might."

"Fine. As you wish. I'm not even here," Loki transformed into an Asgardian guard, "Is this better?"

"Better company at least," Thor grumbled.

"Still, we could be less conspicuous," Loki turned back into himself but turned Thor into Sif, "You look lovely brother."

"It will hurt no less when I kill you in this form," Thor stated making (Y/n) chuckle. Thor's voice in Sif's body? It was quite comical.

"Very well. Perhaps you prefer one of your new companions, given that you seem to like them so much," Loki shifted into Steve, "Oh, this is much better.The costume's a bit much, so tight. But the confidence, I can feel the righteousness surging. Hey, you wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honor, patriotism? God bless Amer-"

(Y/n) pushed Loki against the nearest wall and put a hand over his mouth.

"This brings back memories doesn't it," Loki smirked. (Y/n) rolled her eyes and pointed at a small group of guards passing by, "You could at least furnish me with a weapon."

Thor looked hesitant before handing Loki a dagger. Loki grinned victoriously before frowning in annoyance, holding up his cuffed wrists.

"What? I thought you liked tricks," Thor laughed.

The three jogged down the hallway until they met with Jane and Sif, who were waiting for them.

"You're-" Jane started when she saw Loki.

"I'm Loki. You may have heard of-"

Jane punched Loki across the face, "That was for New York."

Loki chuckled, "I like her."

"Good hit," (Y/n) complimented, rolling her eyes at Loki's hurt expression, "Every New Yorker deserves a good hit on you and you know it."

"There they are!" Guards shouted, approaching the group.

"I'll hold them off, take her," Sif ordered.

"Thank you Sif, you are a wonderful friend," (Y/n) thanked.

The group of four ran towards the Dark Elf ship that had crashed into the palace. There, Volstagg was waiting for them so they could initiate the next part of their plan.

"I will give you as much time as I can," Volstagg assured.

"Thank you, my friend," Thor shook Volstagg's hand.

As Loki was walking towards the ship Volstagg stopped him, "If you even think about betraying them-"

"You'll kill me? Evidently there will be a line."

"If anyone is going to kill my fiance it's going to be me," (Y/n) told Volstagg before entering the ship.

"I love you too, darling."

The two walked onto the ship as the doors began to close. They watched in amusement as Thor tried and failed to operate the alien ship.

"I thought you said you knew how to fly the ship," Loki stated.

"I said, 'how hard could it be?'"

"Well, whatever you're doing, brother, I suggest you do it faster," Loki advised.

"Shut up, Loki."

And the two of them claimed they were nothing like brothers.

"You must be doing something wrong."

"I'm pressing every button on this thing!"

"Don't hit it, just press it gently."

"I am pressing it gently! It's not working!" Thor slammed his hands down on the dashboard.

Blue diagrams appeared in a bubble around the cockpit of the ship. Thor lifted it off of the ground, hitting several pillars as he flew from the palace.

"I think you missed a column," Loki said sarcastically.

"Shut up!"

Thor began to fly through Asgard, narrowly avoiding several different buildings as he did so.

"Maybe you should let me fly this. I'm clearly the better pilot," Loki pointed out.

"Is that right? Well, out of the two of us which one can actually fly?"

"Oh shut up both of you," (Y/n) pushed Thor away from the panel, "Move over."

(Y/n) took control of the ship, quickly learning the reins of steering. She heard Jane gasp before a thud, letting her know that she had collapsed.

"Oh dear. Is she dead?"

"Jane," Thor knelt down next to Jane.

"I'm alright," she muttered weakly.

Several shots were blown at the ship. (Y/n) looked at the screen behind her, groaning when she saw Asgardian ships on the hologram.

"Now they're following us," Loki stated, "Now they're firing at us."

"Yes I see that Loki!" (Y/n) shouted, "If we were married I'd be thinking of divorcing you, now shut up!"

Loki chuckled, knowing there was no truth to her threat.

(Y/n) flew through a narrow tunnel so they were on the outlands of Asgard.

"This was a great idea, Thor you came up with it didn't you? Steal the biggest, most obvious ship we could find, and fly through Asgard-"

Loki was cut off when Thor pushed him off the ship.

"Thor!" (Y/n) yelled.

"You would have done it within a minute," Thor picked up Jane and jumped out as well.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, walking to the exit and jumping out after the other three, leaving the ship to fly alone. She landed gracefully on the smaller ship being flown by Fandral.

"I see time in the dungeon has made you no less graceful," Fandral laughed.

"You lied to me," Loki said to Thor and (Y/n), "I'm impressed."

"Oh come now, I've spent enough time with you," (Y/n) smiled coyly.

"Now do as you promised and take us to your pathway."

Loki grinned, taking the controls. He flew them out into the obviousness of the plain lake. One Asgardian ship went after them as they raised their altitude.

"Fandral."

Fandral grabbed a rope attached to the ship, "For Asgard."

Fandral jumped off, swinging onto the Asgardian ship. He quickly took out the guards driving, saluting at the group as they continued on their path.

"Loki," (Y/n) said in a warning tone as he drove them straight towards the mountain.

"If it was easy, anyone could do it."

"Are you mad?" Thor asked.

"Possibly."

Loki flew the ship through a narrow opening in the mountain. (Y/n) ducked down as they neared the end. The ship continued flying, looking up she saw they were where they were meant to be. Svartalfheim.

"Ta-da," Loki sang.

Now that they were smoothly sailing across the realm they all relaxed. They knew a big battle was coming up, but they also knew calming down beforehand would be smart.

"Aether," (Y/n) bent down next to Jane, "You may come back to me, where you truly belong, on my word."

 _"Kill those who are unworthy."_ The Aether hissed again. Whoever it used to belong to must have been a jerk.

"That's the spirit," (Y/n) mumbled, glad it wouldn't be talking when it entered her.

They flew in silence for another few minutes, (Y/n) sat down across from Loki, twisting her engagement ring.

"You kept the ring, even after New York" Loki noticed.

"Of course I kept the ring on," (Y/n) said, confused that Loki would think she wouldn't, "I always held hope we could still be married."

Loki's gaze traveled to Jane and Thor, "What I could do with the power that runs through those veins."

"It would consume you," Thor sat down.

"She's holding up alright. And (Y/n) may live longer than all of us with the stone."

"I know how to purify it, as far as we're concerned, Heimdall and I are the only ones who know how."

"Jane is strong in ways you don't even know, Loki."

"Say goodbye," Loki advised.

"Not this day."

"This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing. It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready."

"Loki," (Y/n) said in a warning tone.

"The only woman whose love you've prized will be snatched from you."

"And will that satisfy you?" Thor asked angrily.

"I'm telling the truth," Loki shrugged, "The son of Odin-"

"No, not just of Odin!" Thor stood up, "You think you alone were loved of mother? You had her tricks, but I had her trust!"

"Trust. Was that her last expression? Trust? When you let her die!" Loki snapped back.

"What help were you in your cell?"

"Who put me there?' Loki questioned, "Who put me there!"

"You know damn well!" Thor pushed Loki against the side of the cruiser, "You know damn well who!"

"Stop it, both of you!" (Y/n) pulled Thor away from Loki, "Blood or not the two of you are brothers! You were raised together, you fought together. Thor, Loki never desired a throne, he desired to be your equal! Loki, stop it! Thor has tried to trust you and you continue to break his trust. Yes, mortal life is temporary, but their love is true. Now, if we are to save the Nine Realms, both of you need to stop this fighting!"

The two men became silent. (Y/n) took in a few breaths, her face flushed from the residue of her anger.

"I wish I could trust you," Thor finally said.

"Trust my rage."

(Y/n) sat down against the side of the cruiser, letting out a sigh. After a few minutes of silence Jane opened her eyes, the pupil and white entirely black.

"Jane?"

"Malekith," Jane looked at an appearing ship in the sky.

"We need a plan," (Y/n) said lowly.

The small group made a quick plan that definitely wasn't as fool proof as the one on Asgard, but it would still hopefully work in their favor.

The group landed their ship in a hidden place, helping Jane off and staying down as they traveled across the rocky terrain.

"Are you ready?" Thor asked Jane.

"I am," Loki answered out loud.

The group stood up, walking down the mountain to meet the Dark Elves that had exited the ship.

"You know this plan of yours is going to get us killed," Loki pointed out, holding out his cuffed hands, "Still don't trust me?"

"Would you?" Thor asked as he unlocked the cuffs.

"I wouldn't," Loki grabbed a dagger from his belt, stabbing Thor in the stomach.

"Thor!" Jane screamed.

Loki looked to (Y/n), his features threatening, _"_ I've changed, but not the way you wanted."

Loki walked down the hill to Thor, leaving (Y/n). (Y/n) looked down the hill, something shined on Loki's hand. It wasn't the dagger, it was on his finger.

"Damn," (Y/n) whispered, knowing full well what he was wearing.

(Y/n) ran down the hill as Loki 'cut off' Thor's hand. She knelt down, hovering her hand over where his used to be.

"Malekith!" Loki yelled, "I am Loki, of Jotunheim, and I bring you a gift," Loki threw Jane down harshly, "All I ask for in return, is a good seat in which to watch Asgard burn."

"He is an enemy of Asgard," Kurse whispered to Malekith, pieces of the old language coming to (Y/n), "I saw him in their dungeons."

Malekith walked over to (Y/n) and Thor, (Y/n) played weak, backing up.

"Look at me," Malekith ordered, kicking Thor over.

Malekith raised his hand, Jane following into the air. Her mouth opened as the Aether slowly left her body.

_"Now master?"_

"No," (Y/n) whispered, watching the scene carefully, waiting for her moment.

"Loki now!" Thor yelled when Jane fell to the ground.

(Y/n) waved her hand and the illusion on Thor left, his hand returned. Thor reached his hand out, summoning Mjolnir.

(Y/n) prepared for the power of the Infinity Stone, her hand going to the crystal around her neck, "No-"

(Y/n) screamed as a Dark Elf shot his weapon at her, rendering her unconscious. Without (Y/n) to take the power away from him, Malekith was able to absorb the Aether entirely.

"No!" Loki screamed.

Malekith raised his hand and (Y/n) rose into the air. Instead of killing her, he allowed her to float behind him onto his ship. Most likely to torture her into submission, so she would speak to the Aether inside Malekith and help him keep control and his life force.

The plan, it seemed, was going to Hel.


	19. The Convergence

(Y/n) woke up on what she assumed was Malekith's ship. Two guards stood on either side of her barred cell. They underestimated her if they thought two would be enough. She reached for the bars, jerking back when jolts of electric pain spread up her arm.

"Your precious Earth will be destroyed first, and you will watch as it is," Malekith approached her cage.

_"Now?"_

"No," (Y/n) answered both statements.

Malekith smirked, "There is nothing you can do to stop me. Your power is now mine. You have nothing. You are nothing."

"The Aether will never truly be loyal to you," (Y/n) growled, "Even if you kill me you don't have a true claim to its power."

"Kill you? Now why would I do that?" Malekith asked before turning away and leaving her with her two guards.

"Son of a..." (Y/n) trailed off, realizing how many curses she had picked up from Tony based on their time together on Earth.

She ran to the nearly nonexistent window in her cell, going on her tiptoes to see outside. Earth, she recognized the buildings and clothing. Oh Gods, this couldn't be happening.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," (Y/n) looked at the bars of her cell and at herself. No sword, she had never summoned it. What had Loki always taught her? "A dagger is more useful."

She reached down and pulled a dagger from her boot, grinning victoriously. She walked to the front of her cell, reaching her arm through the bars, being careful not to touch them. Adjusting her grip on her dagger she stabbed one of the guards in the shoulder, dragging him against the bars of the cell.

"Go ahead," she growled at the other guard, "Shoot."

She grabbed the key from the guards belt she was holding against the cell. She took out the dagger from the first guards shoulder, throwing it at the other one. When both of them were down she unlocked her cell, exiting easily.

(Y/n) took the form of a Dark Elf, easily running through the halls of the ship without interruption from any of the other Dark Elves. She ran down the ramp leading to the ground, returning to her normal form and joining the fight that would determine the fate of the Nine Realms.

"Thor!" (Y/n) yelled, drawing the Asgardians attention to her, "What's the plan?"

"Jane will control anomalies, but the people-"

"Stay close," (Y/n) somersaulted away from an attack from the Aether, "I need to take the Aether _after_ the Convergence, or Malekith might still be able to control some of it. If he can still control even a small amount, at least a planet will be destroyed. It was never the plan to have him receive the Aether so we must 'wing it'. If you can get good hits on him, weaken him, it might help draw the Aether out."

(Y/n) ran into the nearest building she saw people in, "Go into the basements, the nearest safe place with no windows!"

(Y/n) raised her hand and created a shield as the glass on the windows broke. The people did as she said, running away from the windows to what she presumed was a safe place. Now she had to clear the streets.

As she ran to the street she searched for Loki. Where had he gone off to? Perhaps he was assisting Jane and the others take out the soldiers and control the anomalies, or was hiding away to take Malekith by surprise.

All (Y/n) knew, was that after this, with Loki free, she would take him somewhere safe in a different realm. They could be married in secret. Live a life together, the one she had always wanted.

"(Y/n)!" Darcy yelled, running to her, "What's up?"

"Well besides the fact that the power I worked for my entire life was stolen by someone who wishes to destroy the Nine Realms with it, not much."

"Oh that's great, look out!"

(Y/n) ducked down and swept out her foot, tripping the dark elf. She raised her hand and within a second her sword had appeared. She stabbed it into the soldier's stomach.

"Have you seen Loki?" She asked.

"Why would I want to see Loki?" Darcy questioned.

"Well he kind of saved all of us on the Dark World, and got us out of Asgard before we could be killed for trea-"

A portal opened in front of (Y/n) sucking her out of Earth and into a different realm.

"(Y/n)?"

"Odin, greetings," (Y/n) said awkwardly, she spotted another portal and ran to it, jumping through before more could be said.

"Jane!" (Y/n) ran to the pair, "Have either of you seen Loki, he must be around here somewhere."

"(Y/n), on the Dark World, Loki-"

"Duck!" (Y/n) screamed, the two ducked down. (Y/n) grabbed the black hole grenade, throwing it into the nearest portal. "How long before the convergence ends?"

"Five minutes. (Y/n), Loki-"

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere, be safe you two." (Y/n) ordered, running off before either could say anything more.

(Y/n) ran out to the main area, becoming confused when she saw no sign of Thor and Malekith. They must have been sucked into a portal.

"Darcy?"

"Ian!"

"Jane!"

"Selvig!"

"(Y/n)!"

"Mew mew!"

"What is going on here?" (Y/n) asked, "You're all alive right?"

"Yeah, where's Thor? The Convergence is almost over, two minutes."

"He got sucked through a portal to who knows where."

(Y/n) looked past the columns, cursing when she saw Malekith beginning the end. Why did everything have to go so wrong? Where was Loki? Where was Thor? What was she going to do?

(Y/n) ran out to the field, watching in horror when she saw the Aether beginning to travel to the other worlds. He had to be weakened at the very least, that might give a big enough distraction for her to be able to draw the Aether out.

(Y/n) spotted Thor's cape on the other side of one of the buildings. Erik and Jane followed her as she ran over to him.

"We're too late," Jane sighed.

"Those things, can they stop him?" Thor motioned to the equipment Erik was holding.

"Not from here."

"We can't get close enough."

"I can," Thor grabbed the equipment, "(Y/n) the Aether has expanded, can you handle that much darkness?"

"The soul of it is in Malekith, that is what I need to aim for, the rest should follow. Be careful," (Y/n) warned as Thor ran to the Aether.

She walked towards it, squinting to see what was happening past the red mist that was enveloping the area. She watched as Thor threw the first stick.

"Go!" She ordered Jane, making sure she was safe somewhere else before turning back to the red mist, "Soon Aether, wait for my signal."

Thor threw the next stick, then the last one. When Thor threw the last one the Aether caught it and threw it from the cloud, throwing Thor out as well.

"Now!" (Y/n) screamed, the Aether left Malekith, coming straight for her.

(Y/n) held out her hand, stopping the Aether before it could reach her. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, ignoring the fighting around her. She waved her hand a few times, it seemed as though the darkness left, and the Aether became a brighter red, specks of dark red floating separate from it. (Y/n) held out her necklace. The Aether colored specks went into the necklace.

The rest of the stone slowly floated towards (Y/n). She held out her hand. The liquid landed on her palm, briefly turning back into its original stone form, before it sunk into and under her skin, becoming a part of (Y/n) herself.

"Impossible," Malekith fell to the ground near her. The Aether split up, the majority dissipating now that (Y/n) held the power. But Malekith was holding on to what he could, even in his weak state.

"(Y/n)," Thor called, knowing the only way they could defeat Malekith was if she was angered to the point she lost herself, it was the only way they could get enough power to end this, "Loki died on the Dark World, Malekith had him killed!"

(Y/n) froze. She turned to Malekith. All of the color drained from her body as her face turned angry. It wasn't as if she had seen a ghost, it was like she _was_ a ghost. The markings on her face disappeared, her eyes turned bright red, her clothing changed. She became the original owner of the power, the first Reality Stone.

(Y/n) screamed, a broken, heart wrenching scream that made even Thor tremble. The remaining Aether was ripped from Malekith's body harshly, disappearing in the air. (Y/n) screamed again and it was as though Malekith just turned to dust and blew away, he was gone, dead. With one, final, scream, the ship, and all remaining soldiers, were either killed, or sent through a final portal to the Dark World, never to be seen or heard again.

(Y/n) fell to the ground, her appearance becoming normal as she regained control of herself and her power. Her entire body was shaking and tears were streaming down her face.

"Forgive the circumstances, Lady (Y/n)," Thor pulled her in for a hug, "I am sorry."

"Thor," (Y/n) said seriously, "I can _never_ lose control like that again. What it could do..."

"Rest assured, you have trained to handle the power, and you will."

(Y/n) took her engagement ring off of her finger, gripping it tightly in her hand, knowing she would never have the chance to truly wear it with her wedding ring.

"Control is all I can work for, no family is in my future," (Y/n) whispered.

Thor stayed silent, knowing what she said was true. A love like hers and Loki's, came once in an Asgardians life time. And it seemed, on a rare occasion, it was more temporary than that of mortals.


	20. Marriage

"You once said there would never be a wiser King than me. You were wrong. The alignment has brought all the realms together. Every one of them saw you offer your life to save them. What can Asgard offer its new King in return?"

"My life," Thor stated, "Father, I cannot be King of Asgard. I will protect Asgard and all the realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot do so from that chair. Loki, for all his grave imbalance, understood rule as I know I never will. The brutality, the sacrifice, it changes you. I'd rather be a good man than a great King."

"Is this my son I hear, or the woman he loves?"

"When you speak, do I never hear Mother's voice? This is not for Jane, Father. She doesn't know what I came here to say. Now forbid me to see her or say she can rule at my side, it changes nothing."

"One son who wanted the throne too much, another who will not take it. Is this my legacy?"

"Loki died with honor, I shall try to live the same. Is that not legacy enough?" Thor asked. (Y/n)'s eyes teared up at the mention of his name. They didn't even have a body to send to Valhalla, as (Y/n) was sure he would go. Thor held out this hammer.

"It belongs to you," Odin shook his head, "If you are worthy of it."

"I shall try to be." Thor and (Y/n) turned around now that they knew they wouldn't be killed.

"I cannot give you my blessing, nor can I wish you luck. If I were proud who both of you had become, even that I could not say. It would speak only from my heart."

"Thank you, Father."

"(Y/n), stay for a moment will you?" Odin asked. (Y/n) nodded to Thor, silently saying that he could go. After Thor had left the throne room Odin spoke again, "My dear, you know have the power of the Reality Stone. Can you not see through illusions?"

"I'm still getting used to the change," (Y/n) mumbled, "And um, my emotions are a bit off right now so I have more power stored in my necklace that I will when I am done mourning."

"Yes," Odin leaned forward in his seat, "Look closer (Y/n), muster up the power you can."

(Y/n) tilted her head in confusion, but did as the Allfather said. She squinted her eyes and used an amount of power she felt safe using.

It was like candle wax melting, or water dripping down a blank slate. Either way, the illusion of Odin disappeared, and in the Allfather's place, was the man she presumed to be dead.

"Loki?" She asked. She walked up the stairs to him, putting a hand on his cheek, he wasn't a hologram, "How..."

"Darling, did you believe I would go into a battle without a healing stone?" Loki asked with a smile.

"But, you wouldn't have the time, Thor said you were stabbed straight through the middle."

"Perhaps, the blood of that wretched creature, mixed with mine. And whatever kept him nearly unkillable, did the same for me until I was able to heal myself."

(Y/n) slapped Loki, a loud sound echoing through the room. Loki let out a breathless laugh.

"That's for everything you put me through, you horrible, no good-"

Lok placed his lips on top of (Y/n)'s, silencing her angry rant. (Y/n) put both of her hands on Loki's cheeks, pulling him closer to her. The two kissed again, and again, before Loki pulled away.

"How would you like to wear those rings correctly?" Loki asked.

"I'd love too," (Y/n) grinned, "Give me two days, and I shall everything prepared. We can go anywhere, Vanaheim, Midgard, Alfheim..."

"Anywhere you'd like."

~*~

"I think I'm going to be sick," (Y/n) whispered, holding a hand over her queasy stomach.

"Oh come now (Y/n), you'll do wonderful," Sif assured, though there was a strain in her voice that told her she still didn't trust Loki entirely.

"I still don't understand why I'm here," Darcy spoke up, brushing off her dress, "Or why Black Widow is here either."

"It's taking everything I have to not tackle Loki to the ground and beat him senseless," Nat added, "Just to get all the anger out. Then I'll forgive him because he was being mind-controlled, I know that that's like."

(Y/n) pinched the bridge of her nose. These were the women closest to her and all of them were either angry, confused, or defensive.

"I needed three bridesmaids because Loki has the Warriors Three. Also, you're somehow more trustworthy than Jane, spell of discretion or not."

"What does that mean again?"

"You can't openly tell someone what you saw today," (Y/n) explained shortly, "If we give permission, or if there is a point where it is necessary, then you may say it."

"Aw yeah, like a blood promise," Darcy grinned.

"Right," Sif said, regarding Darcy in shock for a moment before turning back to (Y/n), "Come, it's time."

(Y/n) turned to her side, grabbing the small ring that sat on a wood trunk. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, her Father stood in front of her.

"Father," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

"My time is limited, even with your power, we must hurry."

Carr took his daughter's arm and led her through the short walk to the 'altar' of the ceremony. It was fifteen large wood trunks with hundreds of candles lit magically on top of them.

"Darling did you forget to find someone for the hand binding?" Loki asked when she reached him. Loki was dressed in his finest armor, his helmet on his head.

"I wanted to surprise you."

Volstagg stepped forward and set down a necklace. Loki's eyes sparked in remembrance. (Y/n) waved her hand over the necklace and Frigga began to form, wearing the same dress she was when she was sent to Valhalla.

"I'm so proud of both of you," Frigga whispered, "Now, as the goddess of love, beauty, and marriage, I start the ceremony."

Frigga picked up the four cords traditional for a wedding ceremony. It was something done in Midgard's ancient Scandinavia and in Ireland, they got it from Asgard. She paused for a moment, considering which name to use for Loki, before deciding on being entirely accurate. Loki and (Y/n) reached out and held dominant hands.

"Loki Laufeyson and (Y/n) Carrdottir, I bid you to look into each other's eyes. Will you honor and respect one another, and seek to never break that honor?"

"We will." Frigga draped the first cord over their hands.

"And so the first binding is made. Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?"

"We will." Frigga draped the second cord over their hands.

"And so the binding is made. Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits will grow in this union?"

"We will." Frigga draped the third cord over their hands.

"And so the binding is made. Will you share each other's laughter and look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?"

"We will." Frigga draped the final cord over their hands.

"And so the binding is made," Frigga tied the cords together. "Loki Laufeyson and (Y/n) Carrdottir, as your hands are bound together now, your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust."

Frigga looked to Fandral. He stepped forward, holding his sword horizontally and kneeling down. On the sword were (Y/n) and Loki's wedding rings. Frigga took the rings off the sword, placing them in the couple's free hands.

Loki put on (Y/n)'s ring first, then (Y/n) put Loki's on his hand.

"As this wedding ends, I give you the highest blessing I can. And wish you the happiness both of you have earned. Loki, my son, you may kiss your bride."

Loki pulled (Y/n) closer to him by their bound hands. She felt the cool metal of his ring touch her cheek as he put his lips to hers. Their first kiss as husband and wife, the first of many.

"To the feast!" Volstagg cheered as they pulled apart and began to untie the cords.

"There's a feast?" Darcy asked excitedly. Nat chuckled and rolled her eyes at Darcy's excitement.

"It's tradition for a feast to be held after the ceremony."

"Are you coming Mother?" Loki turned to the spot Frigga had formerly been, all that was left being the necklace brought out.

"Her soul is already in Valhalla," (Y/n) mumbled, "I couldn't bring her back entirely."

"Oh darling, at least she was here to see it, much less officiate it," Loki smiled, wrapping his arm around (Y/n) as they walked down a small path in the forest to the location of the feast.

It was a relatively small table given the company, but it was packed with as much food as it could hold, earning the title of a feast feast. Over the table was fairy lights hanging off of the trees and making it look absolutely enchanting.

Everyone sat down and talked like this was a normal occurrence, having a secret wedding with someone who once tried to take over Earth. Darcy and Nat told the Warriors Three of Thor's time on Earth, the Warriors Three told Darcy of Asgard, and (Y/n) and Loki ate silently, with smile on their faces, and hands held under the table.

"Too bad Thor couldn't be here," (Y/n) sighed.

"Oh yes, because my brother would just love to see that I have survived death once again," Loki said sarcastically.

"Come now," (Y/n) tapped his arm, "He's your brother. This wedding was meant to be a large occasion, then it couldn't happen, and now we're getting married in secret because you're dead."

Loki chuckled and took a bite of his food.

~*~

As The Warriors Three, Sif, Darcy, and Nat were getting ready to be returned to their normal realms, (Y/n) pulled the Asgardian group aside.

"I need you to do something for me," (Y/n) snapped her crystal necklace in half, explaining herself as the others gasped, "Don't worry that won't release the Aether. I need you to take this half to Taneleer Tivan on Knowhere. Keeping all of the unstable energy from the stone in one place isn't a smart idea."

The group nodded, Sif being the one to take the crystal. Everyone exchanged their farewells and those besides (Y/n) and Loki were returned home.

(Y/n) and Loki began to relax and enjoy the serenity of Alfheim. It was a truly beautiful realm. So beautiful, that (Y/n) considered staying there forever. But, Loki was imitating Odin, and (Y/n) had obligations to the Avengers.

Even so, the two enjoyed themselves with the time they had.


	21. The Birth of Ultron

(Y/n) felt the power before she was ever really close to seeing it. The Mind Stone, and something else, something less concentrated, and more...human.

_"Shit!"_

_"Language! JARVIS, what's the view from upstairs?"_

_"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken."_

"I can sense the stone. The scepter is here," (Y/n) waved her hand and turned a few of the larger canons into harmless trees, "You guys do realize I can change reality now right? As is do this a lot easier than what we're doing now?"

 _"We can't risk you harming someone we can get information from if the scepter is moved,"_ Steve pointed out, _"And you only got your stone recently, how well can you really control it?"_

(Y/n) remembered back to when she removed the Aether from Malekith's body and lost control over finding out that Loki had 'died'.

"Point taken, but I'm quite confident in about half of my abilities."

 _"Half? You've been training for this your whole life and you can only control half of your abilities?"_ Nat asked in shock.

"Training and actually holding one of the creating elements of the universe are two very different things," (Y/n) snapped, she twisted her wrist and send a group of soldiers flying away from the battle, "I understand the basis of my powers, but I'm still learning the complicated stuff- Are we really going over this right now?"

 _"Yeah, I agree. And are we going to ignore the fact that Cap just said 'language?'"_ Tony questioned.

_"I know. It just slipped out."_

(Y/n) chuckled. A blue blur passed by (Y/n) and knocked Barton over. As the blur passed by again (Y/n) held out her hand and slowed the creature down to see what exactly they were dealing with.

"What the hell?"

A human, a man to be precise. This creature, mortal, held powers that could only be given to him from an Infinity Stone. What torture did he have to go through to get it?

While (Y/n) was distracted with her thoughts and keeping the man in place, a woman snuck up behind her. She didn't notice the red glow over her feet until she was being flipped onto her back. She groaned as the wind was knocked out of her, and she rolled over on her side. She spotted a flash of red light before Nat yelling into the com drew her attention.

 _"Clint's hit!_ _Somebody want to deal with that bunker?"_

 _"Drawbridge is down, people,"_ Tony reported.

_"Clint's hit pretty bad, guys. We're gonna need evac."_

_"I can get Barton to the jet,"_ Thor offered, " _The sooner we're gone the better. Steve, Stark, and (Y/n) secure the scepter."_

"Already on it."

(Y/n) easily took out any HYDRA soldiers that stood in her path. The Enhanced in the field must have been busy with the others because they didn't try to stop her.

(Y/n) placed her hand on the wall and allowed it to dissipate into water, splashing on the ground and over her boots. She stepped over the water, entering the compound.

She followed her senses towards the scepter. She couldn't hear the stone speaking to her like she did before, gaining her own stone had silenced those voices. It was more of a buzzing in her ears, the closer she got to the stone the louder the buzzing got.

"You slowed me down. How?"

(Y/n) swung out her hand, sending out a sudden blast. She saw a flash of blue pass by her.

"You got your power from the stone, I get my power from another," (Y/n) squinted her eyes and everything slowed down. She saw the man pass by, "The only difference is that that the stone is mine entirely."

(Y/) waved her hand and the man was sent against a wall. Now that she had the chance to look at him entirely, she saw that he was younger than she originally thought he was. He looked like a child, well, not necessarily a child, but he was too young to be a part of this fight.

"We are not your enemy," (Y/n) stated, "You can not stop me from getting the scepter."

_"We're locked down out here."_

_"Then get to Banner, time for a lullaby."_ Steve ordered.

 _"Guys, I got eyes on the prize,"_ Tony reported.

"Tony do not touch the scepter," (Y/n) shouted, "I'm on my way."

(Y/n) ran to the control room, spotting the red and gold of Tony's Iron Man suit. She saw an open door and entered through it.

"Stark?"

Tony's eyes were distant, like he was seeing something no one else could.

"The other enhanced," (Y/n) put a hand in Stark's shoulder, "Tony, Tony it isn't real."

Tony's eyes glowed gold and he seemed to - quite literally- come back to reality. (Y/n) gave him a cautious look before she grabbed the scepter from it's mantle, taking in a deep breath as she felt even more power flow through her veins.

"The scepter has been secured."

~*~

(Y/n) stood on the aircraft as the Avengers flew back to their tower. She kept her eyes on the scepter, listening to the conversations around her.

"Thor, report on the Hulk?"

"The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims."

"Thor," (Y/n) sighed in exasperation.

"Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course. No no, uh...wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh... and gout."

"Thor, that isn't helping."

(Y/n) looked back at the scepter. Tony walked up next to her, noticing her distant look.

"It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..."

"This brings that stress to a close, meaning I can return to Asgard soon." (Y/n) thought of Loki, alone on Asgard and waiting for her return.

"You can go back to Asgard as soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"

"Banner and I'll give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?" Thor and (Y/n) nodded their heads, "I mean, just a few hours until the farewell party. You're staying right?"

"Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honored with revels."

"Yeah. Who doesn't love revels. Captain?"

"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA, so. Yes, revels."

The aircraft landed and opened up. Clint was taken to have his wound tended to, and Maria Hill approached Stark.

"Lab's all set up, boss."

Tony pointed at Steve, "Uh, actually, he's the boss. I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler."

"What's the word on Strucker?"

"NATO's got him."

"And what of the two enhanced?" (Y/n) asked, concern evident in her tone.

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special but it's on the way to everywhere special."

"And their abilities?"

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation."

"Powers similar to mine then," (Y/n) entered the elevator, Maria following, "Those poor kids. Children of war always get the worst of it."

"The worst of it? (Y/n), the way they fight, the powers they have, and why they use them...They're like-"

"Monsters?" (Y/n) finished, "You must ask yourself Agent Hill, is it this fight that has been made by monsters, or are they now monsters because of this fight? This is a time of gods and monsters agent, the only difference between the two is how people see them."

The elevator opened on (Y/n)'s floor and she nodded to Maria before leaving. When she entered her room Loki appeared in front of her.

"Hello darling," he smiled.

"Hi," (Y/n) grinned, wishing he was there with her, "I miss you."

"I miss you too love, you'll be home tomorrow won't you?"

"If everything goes according to plan, yes. Then we can spend as long as we want together."

"I long for that day," Loki's head turned, "The council awaits Odin's advice, I shall see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too."

Loki's hologram disappeared. (Y/n) sighed, walking to the nearly empty closet in her room. While every Avenger had their own floor, (Y/n) spent as much time as possible on Asgard. Not only that but now that she could warp reality keeping tons of clothes when she could just shift the ones she was wearing seemed illogical.

(Y/n) pulled out a green swing dress. It reminded her of the pictures Steve had showed her of the 40s. It was shorter than normal Asgardian wear, but according to Nat, people on Earth just didn't wear long dresses to parties anymore.

She quickly dressed and opened the door when Nat knocked, sitting still while the spy did her makeup.

"So how's the married life?" Nat asked.

"Wonderful, after waiting for years it's finally happened," (Y/n) checked herself one last time in the mirror before she nodded in approval and walked out with Nat.

"Yeah I've heard from Clint that it's nice."

"Clint is married?" (Y/n) asked in shock.

"Married with kids, a little Natasha is on the way actually," Nat grinned.

"I must tell him congratulations," (Y/n) mumbled to herself.

"Speaking of babies, you planning on having any?"

(Y/n) flushed, "We haven't directly talked about it but having children would be nice in the future."

Nat nodded. The two entered the elevator and pressed the correct floor button.

"So, about only knowing how to use half of your abilities..."

"Well not all of the stones powers are known so I'll discover them on the way, those are the half I don't know well. I do know how to create widespread illusions that are touchable. I can warp certain realities and create new ones if I focus hard enough, but that would create a bit of chaos depending on how big it is."

Nat nodded in understanding.

"Changing how living things look in only temporary without another stone to assist, but I can change inanimate objects permanently!"

"You've got a lot of stuff going for you there," Nat stated.

"It is a big responsibility, but it helps bring peace that is desperately needed."

The two could hear the music before they even exited the elevator. (Y/n) prepared herself for the socializing and put on a smile. The doors opened and Nat put a hand on her arm and gave her a smile before leaving to get a drink. (Y/n) looked around for familiar faces before spotting Steve.

"Steve!" (Y/n) grabbed an empty glass from the bar and it filled with Asgardian liquor. The liquor the Midgardians had tasted like flavored water.

"Hey (Y/n), you look nice," Steve's eyes sparked with remembrance, "Like a forties girl."

"The thought did enter my mind," (Y/n) chuckled. She noticed Sam glancing at them and knew he wanted to talk to Steve about something. (Y/n) put her hand on Steve's arm, "I know what it's like to lose someone. But he's out there, I feel it. If you ever need assistance, I can see what I can do."

Steve opened his mouth to ask (Y/n) how she knew what he was going to talk to Sam about before she answered, "I've seen you checking messages from Sam, not that I meant to eavesdrop, but they were audio files. Anyways, I wish you luck."

Steve gave (Y/n) smile and the two parted ways. Nat looped her arm through (Y/n)'s and clinked their glasses together while she was walking.

"If you aren't careful you're going to make him fall for you," Nat joked.

"I'm married Natasha, you were at the wedding," (Y/n) rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I think that I just got really drunk and imagined the whole thing. I'm not even allowed to talk about it with anyone else to ask."

"That's for everyone's good."

"Yeah, everyone does kind of want to kill Loki right now," Nat agreed.

(Y/n) spotted Thor and turned to Nat, "I've things to discuss with Thor, will you be alright on your own?"

"Yeah I'll go find Bruce."

(Y/n) nodded. She approached the table that Thor was at, inserting herself into the conversation.

"Oh, no, no, no. See this, this was aged for a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Brunhilde's fleet, it's not meant for mortal men," Thor poured a drink for him and Steve.

"Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie. Stop trying to scare us. Come on."

(Y/n) grabbed a glass and filled it with Asgardian liquor. She set it front of the man and stood back. Midgardians were always so insistent on matters they didn't understand.

The man took a small sip from the glass. Almost immediately he fell out of his chair and his friends picked him up to take him out.

"Excelsior!" The man began singing.

(Y/n) chuckled, downing the rest of her glass and refilling it.

After another few hours of wandering and making small conversation with those who talked to her, the majority of the guests had left. That left the Avengers and those in the inner circle together.

"But, it's a trick!" Clint yelled as Thor offered to let the others lift the hammer.

"Oh, no. It's much more than that," Thor assured.

"Uh, 'Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!' Whatever man! It's a trick."

"Well please, be my guest."

"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony laughed.

"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint tried and failed to life Thor's hammer, "I still don't know how you do it. Stark, go ahead."

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," Tony bent his knees slightly and prepared himself to lift it, "So, I lift it, I rule Asgard?"

"Yes of course," Thor confirmed.

"I will be reinstituting Prima Nocta," that made (Y/n) scoff and roll her eyes. Tony tried to lift the hammer but, of course, failed, "I'll be right back."

Tony left and grabbed the hand to his armor. Again, he failed to lift it.

"Are you even pulling?" Rhodey questioned.

"Are you on my team?" Tony snapped.

"Just represent!" Rhodey summoned his metal hand as well, "Pull!"

"Alright, let's go!" Both of them tried to pull up the hammer but failed.

Bruce was up next, he only tried for a few seconds before mocking the Hulk and roaring.

"Steve, how about you try," (Y/n) sent a smirk at Thor.

Steve grabbed the handle of the hammer and pulled. The hammer budged a little and Steve stepped back, shaking his head. Thor let out a sigh of relief, laughing.

"Nothing."

 _I know you stopped to protect Thor's pride,_ (Y/n) thought to herself, looking at Steve.

Steve looked up at (Y/n), tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Did you say something?" He asked.

"No..."

"Widow, you wanna try?"

"Oh, no no. That's not a question I need answered," Nat shook her head.

"All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged," Tony stated.

"You bet your ass," Clint added.

"Steve, he said a bad language word," Hill tattled.

"Did you tell everyone about that?"

"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation?"

"Interesting theory Stark," (Y/n) stood up and brushed off her dress. She easily picked up the hammer and flipped it in her hand, handing it to Thor, "I'll give you an even simpler one. You aren't worthy."

A loud screeching sound went through the room. (Y/n)'s head snapped towards the source, her sword appearing in her hand in her shock.

"Worthy...No...How could you be worthy? You're all killers."

This thing, this being, held a level of consciousness that could relate to...The mind stone.

"Stark you didn't," (Y/n) whispered.

"JARVIS."

"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or... I was a dream?"

Tony tapped his watch, "Reboot, Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit.

"There was a terrible noise...and I was tangled in...in strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve questioned.

"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices."

"Who sent you?" Thor asked.

 _"I see a suit of armor around the world."_ Tony's voice came through Ultron's speakers.

"Ultron!" Bruce realized.

"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

"What mission?"

"Peace in our time."

Suddenly, the Iron Legion bots broke through the walls and began to attack the team.

(Y/n) swung up her sword and sliced one of the bots in half. Thor pulled her back and behind the bar counter. (Y/n) picked up a glass and turned it into a shield. She stepped out from behind the counter, holding up her shield to protect herself.

"Stark shut them down!"

"I'm trying," Tony snapped back in response.

One by one the robots of the Iron Legion fell as they were shut down. (Y/n) felt a presence behind her and she swiped her hand to the side, sending the robot into the wall and making it shatter into different pieces.

"That was dramatic!" Ultron exclaimed, "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to... evolve? With these? These puppets? There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction."

Thor chucked his hammer at Ultron, destroying his physical body. But something about how confident he was, facing the Avengers head on. He had a backup.

(Y/n) was proven right as Ultron's voice rang through the speakers around the lab, "I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me. No strings on me..."


	22. Barton Residence

"All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch," Bruce reported, checking the monitors in the lab.

"He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other," Nat added.

(Y/n)'s heart felt as though it skipped a beat at the thought, but then she reminded herself that they didn't have much of her personal life on file. Not to mention her secret husband who was supposed to be dead.

"He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" Rhodey asked.

"Nuclear codes," Hill stated.

"Nuclear codes," Rhodey nodded, "Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can."

"Nukes? He said he wanted us dead."

"He didn't say he wanted us dead," everyone looked at (Y/n), "He said he wanted us extinct, he wanted to wipe us, and any legacy we could leave behind, from the universe."

"He also said he killed somebody," Clint added.

"But there wasn't anyone else in the building."

"Yes there was," Tony pulled up an image of JARVIS' destroyed consciousness.

"This is insane," Bruce shook his head.

"JARVIS was the first line of defense. He would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense," Steve confirmed.

"No, Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy, this is...rage," Bruce said, knowing the difference between the two.

Thor suddenly grabbed Tony by his throat, holding him up.

"Come on. Use your words, buddy," Tony advised.

"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark," Thor growled.

"Thor, we have other things we must focus on," (Y/n) put a hand on Thor's shoulder.

"Trail went cold about a hundred miles out but it's headed north, and it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it, again."

"Great, just when another Infinity Stone was secure," (Y/n) sighed in frustration.

"The genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron."

"I don't understand. You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?" Dr. Cho asked.

Tony began to laugh.

"You think this is funny Stark?" (Y/n) asked, "You messed with an Infinity Stone, created a self running robot, and you think it's funny?"

"No. It's probably not, right? Is this very terrible? Is it so...is it so...it is. It's so terrible. But, it's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."

"Tony, maybe this might not be the time to-"

"Really? That's it? You just roll over, show your belly, every time somebody snarls?" Tony cut Bruce off.

"Only when I've created a murder bot."

"We didn't. We weren't even close. Were we close to an interface?"

"Well, you did something right. And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD," Steve pointed out.

"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?"

"No it's never come up," Rhodey said sarcastically.

"Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day, but, that up there? That's...that's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?"

"Together."

"We'll lose."

"Then we'll do that together, too," everything was silent before Steve spoke up again, "Thor's right. Ultron's calling us out. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place. Let's start making it smaller."

"I gotta make a call," Clint mumbled, taking out his phone and leaving the room.

"I have to as well," (Y/n) announced, leaving as well.

She walked past Clint into a separate meeting room. She opened her mouth to order JARVIS to darken the glass before she realized that JARVIS didn't exactly exist anymore. Instead, she raised her hand and dimmed the glass herself.

"Loki."

It looked as though millions of grains of sand were coming together to form Loki's figure. He was sitting on the throne, alone if he wasn't disguised as Odin.

"Darling," Loki perked up, grinning, "Are you coming home soon?"

(Y/n) sighed, running a hand over her face, "There's been...an incident. I may need to stay longer than I planned."

"Oh...How long?"

"I'm not sure. No longer than a month hopefully. We just need to deal with a new threat. I'll keep you updated."

"Good. I love you."

"I love you t-"

"(Y/n), we got something."

(Y/n) sighed, "I love you Loki."

She ended the call and left the room, undimming the windows. Steve respected her privacy and didn't ask who she was talking to. Clint joined the team soon after and she showed them a photo of Strucker, dead.

"What's this?" Tony asked.

"A message. Ultron killed Strucker."

"This is a smokescreen," Nat stated, "Why send a message when you've just given a speech?"

"Because he knew something Ultron didn't want us to know," (Y/n)) mumbled.

Nat looked at the computer, "Yeah, everything we had on Strucker has been erased."

"Not everything."

The team pulled out all of the physical files they had on Strucker. Which was several boxes to read through.

(Y/n) had several papers at a time in front of her face, reading them quickly before moving on to the next batch.

"Known associates. Well, Strucker had a lot of friends."

"Wait. I know that guy," Tony pointed at a photo Bruce was holding, "From back in the day. He operates off the African coast, black market arms. There are conventions, alright? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything. He was talking about finding something new, a game changer, it was all very 'Ahab.'"

(Y/n) noticed something on Klaue's neck, "There, that's a brand."

Banner pulled up the symbol on his computer, "It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief, in a much less friendly way."

"What dialect?"

"Wakanada? Wa...Wa...Wakanda."

"Wakanda," (Y/n) mumbled. She had visited the country years ago for educational purposes. They got their vibranium supply from a meteor that fell from Asgard after all. It was a lovely country.

"If that man took it from Wakanda it could end very badly," (Y/n) commented.

"I don't follow. What comes out of Wakanda?"

"The strongest metal on Earth."

"Where is this guy now?"

~*~

(Y/n) entered the shipyard cautiously. She wasn't going against the group directly unlike the others. She had made a mission of her own, get as close to Wanda and pietro as possible. She wanted to understand why exactly they were working against the Avengers, that their goal was.

"Ah, this is funny, Mr. Stark. It's what, comfortable? Like old times?"

(Y/n) peeked around the corner when she heard the accented voice.

"This was never my life."

"You two can still walk away from this."

"Oh we will."

(Y/n) wiggled her hand, furrowing her brows as she concentrated on drawing Wanda over.

 _Come on, come on, Wanda we need to have a little chat_ she thought to herself.

Wanda looked in her direction, whispering something to Pietro before she stepped out of the way of the fighting. She walked in (Y/n)'s direction, and the girls prepared herself in case Wanda was looking for a fight.

"You have telepathy too?" Wanda asked.

"I guess so," (Y/n) thought back to when she talked to Steve mentally, "But that isn't why I called you over here. I know your parents died, and based on how you glare at him, Stark's weapons were the cause of it."

"We waited two days for help, staring at their bodies," Wanda growled.

"I know, losing your parents hurts, but, Wanda, you know that Ultron has horrible intentions. He may help you get revenge but at what cost?"

"I'm willing to pay."

"Really? If you believed that entirely then you would have started a fight already. I can help you, you need help harnessing your powers, you and Pietro, you just have to trust me."

Wanda glanced behind (Y/n) and smirked. It was then she realized she had let her guard down for far too long. She felt something pick her up and throw her over the edge of the railing, ramming her into the ground.

She groaned, trying to regain her breath. While she was down, and while her vision was still blurred, she saw a flash of red go over her vision. Wanda was warping her reality. She tried to fight it, pulling out the power she could, but Wanda was more powerful than (Y/n) realized and she fell under.

_"Darling."_

_(Y/n) turned around. Loki was lying on stony ground, dying. She knew, in her heart, that this was her doing. She got mad, over something that seemed so stupid. She lost control, like she promised she never would._

_"Loki," (Y/n) ran to Loki's side, "I can bring you back, I-I can save you."_

_"Why would I want to be saved by the same person who killed me?"_

_(Y/n) whimpered as Loki fell limp in her arms. It was now that she noticed the screaming. She looked around her and her heart seemed to stop beating. Asgard, Earth, the universe, all of it was in ruins. She was completely alone in the universe, standing on empty space._

_She knew, just as she had killed Loki, that she had done this as well. She had become a weapon destruction._

"(Y/n), Lady (Y/n). It isn't real. You must pull yourself from the illusion."

_(Y/n) looked up from the nothingness, wiping her eyes and cheeks. The vision flashed, and she saw the shipyard. Then it flashed back. She looked down and Loki was gone._

"(Y/n)."

Her vision flashed again and she was back longer. One last flash and she was back entirely. (Y/n) rubbed her eyes, feeling the wetness of tears. She looked up at Thor.

"Did you get one too?"

"The stone was at the center of destruction. I need to investigate this."

"Yes, we'll gather to team again then you can go."

Thor held out his hand and helped (Y/n) stand. As they searched for the rest of the team Thor asked a touchy question.

"What was your vision of?"

(Y/n) paused, debating what to say, "A broken promise."

~*~

 _"The news is loving you guys. Nobody else is. There's been no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air._ "

(Y/n) put a hand on Bruce's shoulder, sitting down next to him.

"It wasn't your fault," she assured, "You were under a power even I couldn't get out of."

Bruce nodded, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

(Y/n) stood, wanting to give Bruce the alone time she knew he would need. She took her own seat, opening her palm and pulling up a hologram of Loki. Even just seeing him calmed her down.

"I miss him too, sister."

(Y/n)'s eyes snapped up to meet Thor's. She smiled, holding back the urge to tell him that Loki was alive and well.

"I just wish he were here," she whispered, "Everything would be better."

"Yes, I suppose it would."

~*~

After a few hours the Quinjet landed outside of a large farmhouse. The team walked off of the ship and towards the house, following Clint's lead. It didn't take long for (Y/n) to figure out that this was where Clint's family lived.

"What is this place?" Thor asked, "A safe place?"

"Let's hope," Clint walked into the house, "Honey, I'm home."

Laura exited the kitchen, smiling brightly before her eyes landed on the rest of the team.

"Hi. Company. Sorry I didn't call ahead."

"Hi," Laura said awkwardly.

"Guys, this is Laura."

"I know all you rnames," Laura stated.

"Oh this is lovely," (Y/n) noticed that Laura was obviously pregnant, "May I?"

Laura nodded and (Y/n) placed her hands on Laura's stomach.

"He's healthy," (Y/n) smiled.

"How is little Natasha?" Nat asked, walking towards the two.

"She's...Nathaniel."

"Traitor," Nat muttered, directed towards Laura's stomach.

(Y/n) felt a tug on the fabric of her armor. She looked down and saw a little girl, looking up at her with large eyes.

"Will you play with us Miss (Y/n)?"

(Y/n) grinned, looking up at Laura for permission.

"Go ahead," Laura smiled kindly, "You can distract them."

(Y/n) followed the girl out into the field behind the house where Clint's son was waiting.

"I'm Lila, and that's Cooper."

"Nice to meet you two. What games would you like to play? Frost Giants? Bladgerforn?"

The two kids stared at her in confusion and (Y/n) remembered that Midgardian games were different than Asgardian.

"Um...Pirates?"

"Yeah, pirates!"

(Y/n) laughed and grabbed a few sticks from the ground nearby, turning them into fake swords. They started out playing pirates, but halfway through (Y/n) stopped and began to teach them how to use swords properly.

Thor came by to wish her goodbye and she wished him luck in his quest to find answers. After that, she played with the two until they were all called in for dinner. For a short while, (Y/n) forgot that they were here because of a disaster. She was happy.

"You ready for kids after dealing with those two all day?" Nat asked when they entered the house.

(Y/n) looked at the two kids with a smile, "Yeah, I think I am."


	23. Vision

After (Y/n) had brought the kids in they had settled down with blank sheets of paper and things to color with. Fury had entered the house as well, surprising everyone with his visit.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time. My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked.

"Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere. Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."

"He still going after launch codes?"

"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway."

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare," Tony stated.

(Y/n) stood, looking out the window in thought.

"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that," Nat sighed.

"I do, I have you. Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. Here we all are, back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk," Nat smirked.

"So what does he want?" Fury questioned.

"To be better," (Y/n) spoke up, drawing the group's attention to her, "He's evolving, creating new bodies. That's what the vibranium was for, the perfect, indestructible body. But how he would make it..."

"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?"

"At this point he would already have her under his control," (Y/n) stated, "We need to go to her lab and retrieve the body. Steve, Nat, Clint, and I will go."

"Alright, strictly recon. I'll hit the NEXUS, I'll join you as soon as I can."

"I'll drop Banner off at the tower. Do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?" Fury asked.

"She's all yours, apparently. What are you gonna do?"

"Something dramatic I hope."

The team split up. Nat, Clint, Steve, and (Y/n) in the Quinjet. Lila and Cooper gave (Y/n) hugs just as they did Nat before she went on the ship, they were already calling her 'Aunt (Y/n)', the innocence of the two astounded (Y/n).

"Oh, Laura," (Y/n) put a hand on the woman's shoulder, "An old Asgardian trick for those who don't have magic. Drink this," (Y/n) waved her hand and a small bottle appeared, "When you go into labor and the pain will dull."

"No side affects?" Laura asked hesitantly.

"My own mother used it, and considering how I'm one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy..." (Y/n) trailed off her point made.

"Right, thank you."

"Of course," (Y/n) gave Laura a gentle hug, "I do hope we stay in touch in some form."

(Y/n) boarded the ship while they were going through pre-launch and they were off to Korea.

"You have a lovely family Clint," (Y/n) told Clint as they were flying.

"Thanks," Clint looked out the window and sighed, "I think this is my last mission."

"That is wise," (Y/n) nodded, "You must enjoy your time with your family."

"Yeah, Lila, Cooper, and the little traitor," Nat added.

"We couldn't control what gender the baby was Nat," Clint defended, causing the hero to grumble under her breath.

(Y/n) smiled, past the arguments they had, the Avengers were the closest thing to family she had. Besides Thor, who was her brother by marriage.

(Y/n) sat down and leaned her head against the back of her seat, trying to relax and collect herself before she went into battle.

She suddenly felt the pain of a planet dying. She screamed out and shot up, putting a hand on her head. The other three ran towards her, making sure she was okay.

"That was Wanda," (Y/n) realized, "Her and I must have connected through the stones. She just saw Ultron's real plan."

"And what is it?" Steve asked.

"He doesn't just want to destroy the Avengers. He wants to destroy humanity."

~*~

After they arrived at the lab Steve and (Y/n) jumped from the ship and landed on the roof while Clint stayed behind to fly and Nat stayed behind as backup.

After they entered the building they noticed a limp body on the ground, bleeding, but alive.

"Dr Cho!" (Y/n) kneeled next to Cho, grabbing a nearby beaker and turning it into a roll of bandages as she began to wrap the woman's wound to slow down the blood flow.

"He's uploading himself into the body," Cho groaned.

"Where?"

"The real power is inside the Cradle. The gem, its power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the Cradle to Stark."

"We have to find it first," (Y/n) finished the wrap, "Help will be here soon."

"Go," Cho urged.

The two stood, running from the building.

 _"I got a private jet taking off, across town, no manifest. That could be him,"_ Nat suggested.

 _"There. It's the truck from the lab. Right above you. On the loop by the bridge. It's them. I got three with the Cradle, one in the cab. I could take out the driver,"_ Clint pointed out.

"No don't!" (Y/n) yelled, "If that truck crashes unbelievable damage could be done. We must draw him out."

The two jumped down onto the truck, keeping their balance as it drove along the busy road.

(Y/n) grabbed onto one of the bars on the side, reaching out for the door handle before it was blasted off, almost taking her with it.

"Well, he's definitely unhappy! I'm gonna try and keep him that way," Steve stated.

Steve swung into the truck. (Y/n) following soon after.

"You know what's in that Cradle? The power to make real change, and that terrifies you."

Steve ran towards Ultron, his shield raised and ready to strike.

"Stop it!" Ultron threw Steve's shield out of the truck and blasted him.

"Enough," (Y/n) snapped, raising her hand and blasting Ultron to the front of the truck. She waved her hand and her sword appeared in her hand.

"Oh (Y/n), the girl with all the power in the world who doesn't know what changes needs to be made."

(Y/n) jabbed at Ultron, narrowly missing as he jumped to the side.

"Does your husband support you doing nothing to help those who truly need it?" (Y/n) froze, her eyes going wide at the statement, "Ah yes, the Avengers may not have had it in their files. But Darcy Lewis enjoyed recording the happy wedding so she could gift the tape to you."

"What did you do to her?" (Y/n) asked with a growl.

"Nothing, nothing," Ultron waved his hand dismissively, "A simple hack to learn more about the biggest threat I have."

"That won't change. I can crush you were you stand."

"Crush this body and I have another one prepared."

(Y/n) waved her hand and one of the seat at the front of the truck broke out of place, hitting Ultron against the side. Steve seemed to recover and joined (Y/n) in the attack against Ultron.

Steve tackled Ultron through the side of the truck onto an oncoming train. (Y/n) jumped through the hole as well, entering the train.

"Out, now!" (Y/n) yelled, ushering the civilians in the car into the two on the other sides while Ultron was distracted with Steve.

_"I'm going in, Cap, (Y/n), can you keep him occupied?"_

"What do you think we've been doing?"

As (Y/n) was helping the last civilian exit, something twisted in her stomach. She turned with a wide grin. Pietro and Wanda were on the train. The hero knew they were on her side.

Wanda had trapped Ultron in his place. (Y/n) broke off one of the poles, ready to impale Ultron before he broke away from Wanda's hold and flew away.

 _"Cap, (Y/n), you see Nat?"_ Clint asked in a panic.

"If you have the cradle you need to leave," (Y/n) ordered.

 _"Do you have eyes on Nat?"_ Clint repeated.

"Go!" Steve turned to Pietro and Wanda, "Civilians in our path. Can you two stop this thing?"

Wanda and (Y/n) shared a look before they nodded at each other. Both of them raised their hands and in sync, red and gold mixing together as it shot out of their hands and spread under the train.

Slowly but surely the train stopped. (Y/n) straightened up, letting out a relieved sigh. She saw Wanda step out of the train and run over to a tired Pietro.

"I'm fine. I just need to take a minute."

"I'm very tempted not to give you one," Steve frowned.

"The Cradle, did you get it?"

"Stark will take care of it."

"No, he won't," Wanda shook her head.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Stark's not crazy."

"He will do anything to make things right," (Y/n) mumbled. Wanda nodded in agreement at the statement, "He's not going to give me the stone so I can take care of it, he's going to finish making the body."

"Stark, come in. Stark. Anyone on comms?" Steve questioned.

"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that?"

~*~

As soon as the group of four arrived back at the Avengers Tower lab they knew what was going on. (Y/n) hunch was right.

"I'm gonna say this once," Steve stated.

(Y/n) closed her eyes and reached out for Thor's mind, he was closer than she would have imagined, he was coming back.

_Thor..._

_The stone must stay in the body sister,_ Thor already knew what (Y/n) was going to say, _It will be a new creation, pure enough to handle it and use it for good._

"Oh, we're way past that. I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade."

(Y/n) came back in the middle of an argument. She leaned over to Wanda, "Wanda, I know your hesitation, and you don't need to trust Stark, but trust me, this body will help us."

Wanda gave (Y/n) a hesitant look, but she seemed more willing to trust the Asgardian than she did Tony.

Pietro jumped into action and destroyed the lab equipment, "No, no. Go on. You were saying?"

Clint suddenly shot a bullet through the glass Pietro was standing on and he fell through.

"Pietro!" Wanda yelled.

"What? You didn't see that coming?" Clint asked mockingly.

""Go ahead, piss me off," Bruce threatened Wanda.

"Sister now!" Thor yelled as he entered the lab.

(Y/n) raised her hand, shooting a large amount of energy at the cradle. The body jumped out and at Thor, who was closest to him. The hero moved to the side and held up his hand when the others looked ready to attack.

"I'm sorry, that was...Odd," the person apologized to Thor, before turning to (Y/n), "Thank you."

"Thor, you told (Y/n) to create this?"

"I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at it's center is that," Thor pointed at the Mind Stone.

"Putting it in a pure being was the best chance to keep it safe," (Y/n) explained, "The stone would be able to protect itself."

"The gem?"

"It's called the Mind Stone. It's one of the six Infinity Stones, they're unparalleled in their power. I hold the Reality Stone, but even if I have one of the stones, one will not be enough in the endgame."

"Why does your 'vision' sound like JARVIS?" Steve asked.

"We reconfigured JARVIS' matrix to create something new," Tony explained.

"You think I'm a child of Ultron?" Vision questioned.

"You're not?"

"I'm not Ultron. I'm not JARVIS. I am...I am."

"Vision," (Y/n) stated.

"I looked in your head and saw annihilation," Wanda growled.

"Look again."

"Yeah. Her seal of approval means jack to me," Clint rolled his eyes.

"Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone, and they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side..." Thor trailed off.

"Is it? Are you? On our side?"

"I don't think it's that simple."

"Well it better get real simple real soon."

"I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't, he will end it all," Vision explained.

"What's he waiting for?"

"You."

"Where?"

"Sokovia," Clint cut in, "He's got Nat there too."

"If we're wrong about you, if you're the monster that Ultron made you to be..." Bruce began his threat.

"What will you do?"

"I will destroy the vibranium that makes up your very being and tear the stone from your head so I may contain it properly," (Y/n) shrugged, "I may have created you Vision, and I believe you will do what's right, but I will not hesitate to stop you.

Vision nodded in understanding, "I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain. But that pain will roll over the earth, so he must be destroyed. Every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net, we have to act now. And not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go," Vision held up Thor's hammer and handed it to him.

"Right," Thor nodded, bringing everyone out of their shock, "Well done."

"Three minutes. Get what you need."

"FRIDAY will lead you to the locker rooms where you can find something," (Y/n) told the twins.

After they left everyone turned to her.

"Why are you so supportive of them?" Tony asked, "Do you not remember them fighting _with_ the guy who wants to destroy the world?"

"And who made him Stark?" (Y/n) questioned, defending the two, "They're scared, and they're children. They hold powers they can't hope to understand or fully control without help. I was trained my entire life to control my powers and I still struggle. Imagine how they're feeling."

The team went silent, though (Y/n) knew she had made her point in defending the twins. (Y/n) left the group so they could get ready to leave themselves. She took the elevator to the locker room.

She couldn't entirely explain why she was so set on protecting the twins and helping them. Their connection to the Mind Stone, and the Mind Stone's connection to (Y/n)'s own stone connected them in a way that made all of them understand each other. Even then, (Y/n) knew what it was like to fear your power and be a child of war.

"Oh, I apologize," (Y/n) averted her eyes as she walked in on Pietro changing his shirt.

"Are you here to interrogate us?" Wanda questioned.

"No of course not. I trust you," (Y/n) assured, twisted the rings on her finger, "I'm here to make a proposition. If you didn't know, you received your powers from an Infinity Stone. You two must be incredibly strong to have survived a small glimpse of the power-"

"And you hold even more of the power because you have an entire one?" Pietro asked.

"I was born for it, that's what these markings mean. I know of your struggles, and I was trained to understand them. I want to train both of you."

"Train us?"

The twins looked at each other, and (Y/n) knew they were having a mental conversation.

"Yes," Wanda finally answered for the both of them, "That would be nice."

"Good," (Y/n) smiled, "Come, I'll lead you to the ship then."


	24. Sokovia

"No way we all get through this. If even one tin soldier is left standing, we've lost. It's gonna be blood on the floor," Tony stated as they flew at top speed towards Sokovia.

"I got no plans tomorrow night," Steve shrugged.

"I get first crack at the big guy. Iron Man's the one he's waiting for."

"That's true, he hates you the most," Vision stated casually, making (Y/n) chuckle.

"Ultron knows we're coming. Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out."

The ship landed and the ship near the edge of the city and they ran off, searching for Ultron.

"Wanda," (Y/n) looked to Wanda and she began to use her powers to get the people to leave. Pietro had run to the police station to notify them of what was going on.

"We need to protect the people, and find out what exactly Ultron has been building. We find Nat and clear the battlefield. Ultron believes that we're all monsters. This fight will tell us if we're right."

Tony flew off to track down Ultron and the source of what he was building. While he was doing that, the others were focused on the people. (Y/n) was standing by the bridge of the city, making sure that the citizens didn't panic to the point of attacking each other.

Everything was going as smooth as it could until Ultron's robots flew out from the center of the city and began to attack.

"Off the bridge!" (Y/n) yelled, knowing it was an easy target to knock down.

As the robots began to shoot Wanda rushed to the hero's side, raising a shield before (Y/n) could even react.

"Thanks," (Y/n) said breathlessly.

(Y/n) nodded to Wanda before she ran off, finding an area where the others weren't where the people needed protecting.

(Y/n) raised a shield, drawing her sword and slicing many of the bots in half. Suddenly, the city began to shake. (Y/n) noticed a large crack beginning to form in the sidewalk. The crack grew larger and larger until the part of the city that they were on began to rise above the rest.

"Go, now!"

Many of the citizens (Y/n) was protecting jumped off of the rising city and to the ground below to safety.

"Do you see? The beauty of it, the inevitability." Ultron began to speak over the city, his voice like a speaker as it overcame the loud panic happening around (Y/n), "You rise, only to fall. You, Avengers, you are my meteor, my swift and terrible sword and the earth will crack with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal."

(Y/n) growled in determination. She left the cleared section of the city and ran to meet the others at the bridge where the majority of the people seemed to be congregated.

"Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely. The rest of us have one job: tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You die, walk it off."

(Y/n) waved her hands frantically, tuning several cars into platforms.

"Steve, cover me," (Y/n) ordered, "Everyone get on the platforms!"

As many people as could safely fit got onto the platforms, (Y/n) began to push them off of the city and towards the ground. With her being distracted she depended on Steve to stop any robots from taking her out.

"Good," (Y/n) muttered, raising her hand to bring the platforms back up so she could bring more people down.

Before she could set the platforms down entirely, she felt a shot skim her shoulder. Screaming in surprise she swung her hand and sent one of the platforms into the bot that shot her, tearing it apart.

"Good throw," Wanda complimented.

"Thanks- Look out!"

(Y/n) tackled Wanda into a nearby building as several bots came up behind her ready to shoot.

"How could I let this happen?" Wanda questioned in a panic, "This is all our fault."

"It's your fault, it's my fault, it's the team's fault it doesn't matter," (Y/n) shook her head, "Wanda you may have fought with us up until now, but you need to ask yourself if you're truly ready for this. I'm doing this because it is my obligation. If you go out there, and you fight, you fight to kill. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. If you don't want to do this, I can send you back down. But if you leave this place, you are one of us. You're an Avenger."

(Y/n) went back to the battlefield through the window. She used to the two remaining platforms to get more people out of the line of fire. As she was doing so she noticed that many of the robots around her were being blasted with red light.

She turned with a grin to find Wanda exiting the home she had pushed her into.

"Oh good, I wouldn't have been able to do this without her," (Y/n) muttered to herself. She spotted a red head on the battlefield and immediately knew who it was, "Nat! Good to have you back!"

"The next wave's gonna hit any minute. What have you got, Stark?"

 _"Well, nothing great. Maybe a way to blow up the city. That'll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear._ _Impact radius is getting bigger every second."_

"Not 'till everyone's safe," Steve shook his head.

"I don't know how fast I can work but I'm doing everything I can," (Y/n) yelled.

"There's worse ways to go. Where else am I gonna get a view like this?"

 _"Glad you like the view, Romanoff. It's about to get better,"_ Fury said over the comms, a helicarrier appearing on the edge of the city, _"Nice, right? I pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do."_

"Fury, you son of a bitch." Steve grinned.

"Oooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"This is SHIELD?" Pietro asked, joining the group.

"This is what SHIELD's supposed to be," (Y/n) nodded.

"This is not so bad."

"Everyone on the ship!" (Y/n) yelled, ushering people onto the different crafts.

 _"Avengers, time to work for a living,"_ Tony yelled over the comm.

The team met athe church in the center of the city, where the core of the machine was.

"What's the drill?" Nat asked when she arrived.

"If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose."

Ultron flew towards the team.

"Is that the best you can do?" Thor yelled.

Ultron raised his hand and his army of robots joined him.

"You had to ask," (Y/n) rolled her eyes.

"This is the best I can do. This is exactly what I wanted. All of you, against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?"

"Well, like the old man said. Together."

"You know, with the benefit of hindsight-"

Hulk ran forward and knocked Ultron to the other side of the city. The robots began to retreat.

"They'll try to leave the city," Thor stated.

"We can't let 'em, not even one. Rhodey!"

"I'm on it."

"We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you," Steve ordered.

"What about the core?" Clint asked.

"I'll protect it. It's my job."

"Call on me if you need help," (Y/n) told Wanda before running off.

She searched through all of the buildings near and around her, ushering out any civilians on her way. Her section of the city was entirely clear, and she was getting ready to go check on Wanda before she had to stop and fall to her knees.

She felt Wanda's pain before she actually felt Pietro's. It tore through her heart in her mind and she heard Wanda's scream ring through her head. Then she felt Pietro's own pain. Only, it wasn't exactly pain. He was okay, he went out as a hero and he was okay with that.

"No, no, no," (Y/n) stood shakily, running through the city until she reached the speedster.

"You must go," (Y/n) brought Clint out of his shocked state, "I will handle this."

Once Clint was gone with the boy he had saved (Y/n) bent down next to Pietro's body. Placing her hand on his chest she closed her eyes.

She was still relatively new to the whole Infinity Stone business, even her training couldn't have prepared her for everything. Perhaps, if she was more experienced then this whole situation could have been avoided, but it wasn't the time to think about that.

(Y/n) may not have been able to save everyone that lost their life that day, but she could save Pietro.

 _Reality is irrelevant,_ (Y/n)'s voice echoed throughout her mind, _I am in control, and I alone can change it. Pietro Maximoff...is alive._

Pietro's eyes snapped open and he gasped. His bullet wounds were rapidly healing.

"We must hurry-"

Before (Y/n) could finish her sentence she was on one of the carriers.

"You didn't see that coming?" Pietro asked Clint with a smirk.

"Piet!" Wanda flew forward and hugged her brother tightly, "I felt you die."

"(Y/n) brought me back."

(Y/n) smiled at the two, "I couldn't let you miss training together could I?"

~*~

_"Hi (Y/n)! Clint told me you got a phone and gave me the number you had so I just wanted to say thank you for what you gave me, it really did help. And Nathaniel is healthy!"_

"Wonderful," (Y/n) smiled, lowering the phone from her ear. Tony had given her one a while ago and she was getting the hang of the technology. Laura had called and left a voicemail about Nathaniel.

"(Y/n) we are returning to Asgard," Thor stated.

(Y/n) nodded, following after the man as he met with Tony and Steve.

"The rules have changed," Steve stated.

"We're dealing with something new," Tony added.

"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence, so it doesn't count."

(Y/n) chuckled and rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what they were talking about

"No. It's not like a person lifting the hammer," Tony agreed.

"Right. Different rules for us."

"If Vision can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone. He proved himself well in battle."

"Oh, (Y/n)!"

(Y/n) was pulled away from the group and into a hug by Wanda.

"Do you have to go?" Pietro asked.

"I have people to return to on Asgard," (Y/n) sighed, "But I promise I will return so we can continue training."

It had been a week since Sokovia had been destroyed, and in that time (Y/n) had done everything she could to help the Maximoff twins gain a simple understanding of their powers so they had something to work on while she was in Asgard so she could spend time with Loki.

"Stay safe you two," (Y/n) gave the siblings quick hugs, "I hope to see you soon."

(Y/n) ran out onto the field of the compound in time to hear the end of Thor's conversation with Tony and Steve.

"The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us."

"Are you going to search for the other stones instead of staying in Asgard?" (Y/n) asked, keeping the relief out of her voice.

"Yes, I will visit briefly but I will leave soon after."

(Y/n) nodded, turning to the two male heroes, "I wish you two well."

Thor raised his hammer and the two were summoned back to Asgard, where (Y/n) could finally see her husband again.


	25. Civil War

"I'll be back soon Loki, I promise," (Y/n) assured Loki as he tried to keep her from going to Midgard, "I just need to check in with the team, do a bit of business. I'll tell you if I need to stay longer but even if I do I'll still visit."

Loki gave (Y/n) a long kiss, rubbing the pad of his thumb along her cheek.

"Be a good king while I'm away," (Y/n) requested, "I won't be able to keep you from making rash decisions if I'm away."

"You are the voice of reason, darling," Loki sighed.

"Of course I am. I bring a little...Reality, don't you think?" (Y/n) grinned at her joke before kissing Loki another time, "I really must be off. I love you."

"I love you too."

(Y/n) left the palace and walked to the Rainbow Bridge, crossing and arriving in the summoning chamber.

"Midgard please, Heimdall, preferably where Ms. Potts is," (Y/n) requested.

"Did you enjoy your visit with Odin?" Heimdall gave a skeptical look as he turned his sword in its place.

"Yes, it was quite nice."

"Is there something you would like to tell me, get off your chest perhaps?" Heimdall questioned.

"Nothing you don't already know," (Y/n) smirked, "Goodbye Heimdall."

(Y/n) dropped down from the Bifrost near Stark Tower. She easily entered and had JARVIS bring her to the floor where Pepper was.

"Ms Potts, I require assistance," (Y/n) announced when she entered.

"Oh (Y/n)," Pepper looked up from the work she was attending to, "I'm really busy right now, we're selling the tower and the accords have just-"

"Forgive me Ms Potts but I require your assistance desperately," (Y/n) lowered her voice and explained why she had come, "I thought you could help me."

"I can actually," Pepper closed the tabs she had open, "Give me twenty minutes and I'll be back. Go ahead and make yourself at home while I'm gone."

True to her word Pepper returned in twenty minutes and gave (Y/n) what she bought for her.

"Are you sure this works for Asgardian women?" (Y/n) questioned.

"They work for all women," Pepper assured.

"Have you ever used something like this?"

Pepper cleared her throat, "Yeah, a few- a few times." She felt the urge to change the subject, "Why come all the way to Earth for this?"

"I was afraid women on Asgard would talk. Loki is supposedly dead after all."

"He isn't?" Pepper asked in shock.

"No, but i assure you he is on our side. He was being controlled...Where are the others?"

"Split up because of the accords," Pepper paused, "So...Yes, no? Do you want to go out and buy another one?"

"No, no," (Y/n) emerged from the bathroom, "It feels right."

"And what do _you_ think about it?"

(Y/n) smiled, her cheeks flushing when she realized how strangely comfortable she was being with Pepper.

"It was exactly what I was hoping for."

"Well (Y/n) that's awesome!" Pepper beamed, "I'm glad I could help."

"I'm glad I came to you for help," (Y/n) paused, "Did you say something about an 'accord'?"

"Oh yeah," Pepper sighed, "That's part of the reason why I have so much work. The accords were made to control the Avengers but Steve and some of the others went against them and are now fugitives. The government captured some of them at a fight between Tony and Steve but Steve and Bucky are still out there."

"Who exactly were captured?"

"Um...Sam, Clint, Ant-Man, Pietro, and Wanda."

(Y/n) felt her heart clench in her chest. She had mentored Wanda and Pietro, gave them advice, taught them how to control their powers. She felt closer to them than she did anyone else on the team, and hearing they were imprisoned...

"Where is the prison?"

Pepper pulled up the coordinates on her computer, "I'm not supposed to have these but what else is new?"

(Y/n) surveyed the coordinates, committing them to memory. She took a step back, making eye contact with Pepper.

"(Y/n), don't tell me you're going to do what I think you are."

"You can't stop me Pepper, no one can."

(Y/n) closed her eyes and concentrated on the numbers she had just read. She was still relatively new to her powers, but she had learned quite a lot. One of the things she had learned was that part of warping reality was changing the reality you were in, more specifically, your location. Meaning (Y/n) could teleport to locations in the realm she was in if she focused hard enough.

When she opened her eyes again she was in a prison facility. She looked around at her surroundings. She was in a hallway, full of doors leading to other places.

"Hey!" A guard yelled.

(Y/n) waved her hand and sent the guard against a wall. She could feel Wanda and Pietro, they were relatively close. It was like a Midgardian game of hot and cold, the closer she got to the twins the more she could feel the connection between their powers increase.

When she found the door several guards were standing in front of it. She made a move to take them out but someone beat her to it. When the person stepped into the dim light she smiled.

"Steve, glad to see you again. I wish it wasn't under these circumstances."

Steve sighed and nodded, "Wish you could've been at the airport."

"I'm here now," was all (Y/n) had to say.

The two entered the room together. Steve worked on breaking Clint, Ant-Man, and Sam out while (Y/n) went to the twins.

"Pietro," (Y/n) noticed the cuffs around his feet, keeping him from moving, "Oh you poor thing."

(Y/n) placed her hand on the glass and it seemed to melt away under her fingertips. When she touched the cuffs they turned into bubbles. Pietro immediately hugged (Y/n), before looking at his sister in her cell.

"Oh Wanda," (Y/n) broke Wanda's barrier, "What did they do to you?"

Wanda had a shock collar around her neck, her arms being restrained by a straight jacket. When (Y/n) touched the collar Wanda whined and scooted away.

_I do not want you to be hurt._

(Y/n) could hear Wanda's worried thoughts. Giving Wanda a reassuring smile she broke the collar off from her neck, letting it drop to the floor. (Y/n) unhooked and helped the poor girl out of the straight jacket, setting it on fire and letting Wanda watch it burn so she would know it couldn't hurt her anymore.

Pietro went in for a hug but (Y/n) placed a hand on his arm, stopping him from doing so. Wanda wasn't ready, she knew that. Hugs would make her feel restrained.

"I have a jet waiting," Steve stated.

The small group ran through the halls of the compound to the top level. It was then (Y/n) realized that the prison was in the middle of an ocean. Smart, isolating some of the most dangerous people on the planet. But they obviously weren't smart enough.

When they were on the jet Pietro sat across from Wanda while (Y/n) sat next to her. Steve was up front with Bucky and Clint flying, while Sam and Ant-Man- Scott, (Y/n) learned - were in separate areas.

"Wanda," the young girl looked up at (Y/n), "You can sleep now."

Wanda cautiously laid her head down on (Y/n)'s lap, closing her eyes after mumbling a nearly inaudible, "Thank you."

"Will she ever be the same?" Pietro questioned.

"Wanda is a victim of torture," (Y/n) thought of Loki before he came to Midgard and attacked New York, frightened, cautious, then put under control, "She is a survivor of war. But she is strong. It will take time but she will recover."

"Thank you," Pietro said seriously, "You have helped me and my sister more than you could imagine. You are like...You are like family to us."

(Y/n) smiled, "Yours is a family I am proud to be a part of."

(Y/n) was very careful in waking Wanda when they arrived in the kingdom of Wakanda. The King, T'Challa, greeted them as they landed. They were introduced to his general, Okoye, his sister Shuri, and his mother Ramonda.

"We have rooms ready for you to stay until you wish to leave."

(Y/n) saw panic come across Wanda's face at the idea of being confined to a room in a tech heavy area.

"Your Majesty, I don't wish to bother you, but do you perhaps, have a place to stay that is more remote?" (Y/n) asked.

T'Challa nodded to Okoye. The General stepped forward and motioned for (Y/n) and Wanda to follow her.

"(Y/n)," Pietro grabbed (Y/n)'s wrist, "I'll stay here, but I want you to take care of her. Make her herself again? You might be better at that than I could be."

(Y/n) nodded reassuringly. She held her hand out for Wanda, who hesitantly took it. The two followed Okoye down a remote path to a spacious home in a remote area of Wakanda.

"The path leads back to the city so you can not get lost," Okoye explained, "You are welcome in the palace."

"Thank you," (Y/n) thanked, "We do not have many female warriors on Asgard, it is refreshing to see so many in Wakanda."

Okoye smiled, giving the two girls a nod before she began to walk back to the palace. (Y/n) opened the door for Wanda and led the girl inside.

The home had everything they could have hoped for, but it also gave a sense of peace, knowing it was still out of the way of everything that was going on. (Y/n) looked through the rooms and found two bedrooms.

(Y/n) put Wanda in the larger one, knowing she would want as much space around her as possible. She waved her hand and Wanda's prison clothing changed into comfortable pajamas.

"I'll just be in the other room, alright?"

Wanda nodded, getting into bed. (Y/n) left the door open slightly before walking to her own room. She changed into her own pajamas and sat on the bed, summoning a hologram of herself to send to Loki.

"Loki," (Y/n) spoke gently.

"Hello, darling."

(Y/n) could see that Loki was getting ready to sleep as well.

"I might have to stay on Midgard longer than I planned," she jumped to explain when Loki's face grew disappointed, "These Midgardians tortured the Maximoff Twins. I must stay and help them get better. It will a take a year at most. That's just a blink of your eye."

"I understand, good luck darling, I love you."

"I love you too."

(Y/n) ended the hologram and let out a sigh, leaning back in bed. She couldn't explain how thankful she was for Loki being as okay with her helping others as he was.

(Y/n) closed her eyes and went to sleep.

~*~

A week had passed since Team Cap had been freed from prison. Some of the others had visited, bring food or reassurances for the two, while (Y/n) worked with Wanda to help her recover. The first few days she barely said anything, and when she did they were nearly inaudible mumblings, but now she was talking quite normally.

"Wanda, why don't we just talk today?" (Y/n) asked.

"No training?" Wanda asked in confusion.

"No training. I want you to let out what you're feeling, so you don't burst. I have this," (Y/n) held up the gem half on her necklace, "To keep me in check. You don't have a stone."

Wanda sat down in one of the chairs across from (Y/n). She twisted some of the rings she had on her fingers, keeping herself busy.

"Even my time with HYDRA wasn't that horrible," Wanda mumbled, "They let me move, talk, use my powers. There, every time I moved I was shocked. Every time I tried to speak I was shocked. So just stopped. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't _feel_ anything. Because if I did then I would be hurt."

Wanda put a hand over her mouth, putting her head down so (Y/n) couldn't see her cry, but the Asgardian knew before she even started crying that she was going to.

(Y/n) moved to the seat Wanda was in, cautiously and slowly putting her arms around her, assuring her that she was okay, and that she would never be going back there as long as (Y/n) was alive.

"You are a child of bloodshed Wanda, but so am I, so is Steve, and Sam, and Thor. We all have lived through war and we will continue to fight them. Together."

~*~

The next day Okoye came to the abode to tell the two girls that T'Challa was requesting they come for a joined dinner so he could discuss what the group would be doing now that they were fugitives.

"Dinner with a king, can't say I haven't done that before," (Y/n) grinned when she heard Wanda laugh. She was bringing the girl back, helping her recover. Sometimes all a woman needed was help from another woman.

"Here, this is from Asgard," (Y/n) held a gold necklace up to Wanda's neck. The girl flinched and (Y/n) let the necklace dissipate, "Not ready for necklaces?"

"I feel collared," Wanda explained.

"That just means there's more room for rings. Here," (Y/n) closed and opened her palm and a silver ring was sitting in it, "Straight from Asgard."

"Oh (Y/n) I can't take this."

"You can, and you must," (Y/n) stated, "It's rude to deny the gifts. I've enchanted it as well so it will assist you in controlling your powers like what my necklace does."

Wanda gingerly took the ring from (Y/n)'s palm, slipping it onto her right hands ring finger, "You know if you got down on one knee it would have been a proposal."

(Y/n) chuckled, "Too bad I'm already married then."

"Married?" Wanda's eyes widened.

(Y/n) leaned forward, "Loki is alive Wanda, we were married after I received my stone."

"That explains why you're always glowing," Wanda grinned.

"Yes, I suppose it does, now come on, we have a dinner to attend."

~*~

After nearly a year of helping Wanda recover (Y/n) was going to return back to Asgard to see Loki before assisting Thor in finding other Infinity Stones. Her goodbye with the others was brief, after reassurance of seeing them again. Pietro had made a habit of calling her part of the family, at certain points calling her sister. It was nice.

"Are you sure you'll be okay without me?" (Y/n) questioned Wanda as she stood out in a field so she could summon the Bifrost.

"I'm better (Y/n), thanks to you," Wanda gave the Asgardian a tight hug, "Besides, Vision contacted me, I'm going to go meet with him. Now go, see your husband."

"I wish you luck Wanda," (Y/n) looked to the sky, "Heimdall!"

The Bifrost touched down and took (Y/n) back to Asgard. Heimdall greeted her as she began to walk to the palace.

"Welcome back darling," (Y/n) was immediately pulled into a kiss when she entered her and Loki's room.

"Hello Loki," (Y/n) beamed, "I missed you."

"I missed you to, darling. Even a mere year is too long."

(Y/n) nodded in agreement, "But I'm home now. Let's enjoy it."

~*~

_"(Y/n) Laufeyson of Asgard," the voice was deep and rumbling. Something that filled (Y/n) with a sense of dread._

_She was dreaming, she knew that she was. She had gone to bed next to Loki like she had been doing since she returned in Asgard. Midgardians called this lucid dreaming. She could control herself, she was aware. But (Y/n) knew this was different. It was like she had been transported to that location._

_"You," (Y/n) growled, "You tortured my husband, you controlled him."_

_"I gave him the push to do something he was too afraid to," Thanos turned around in his chair, "You have something I want."_

_While (Y/n) had never seen Thanos in person before she had heard enough. Thanos was a large menacing being. His purple skin stood against his golden armor. A large grin dominated his face. He was a Titan, a once powerful and beautiful race now extinct because of economic downfall._

_"If I tore your very being apart, the Reality Stone would scatter," Thanos stood up, towering over (Y/n), "But you don't keep the most dangerous part inside of you do you?"_

_Thanos ripped (Y/n)'s necklace from her neck. She raised her hand, ready to attack. Thanos encased her hand in his own, squeezing until she was making small gasps of pain._

_"I will offer an allegiance, think carefully. Nothing will stop me from balancing the universe. Man, woman, or child."_

_"I will never work for you."_

_Thanos grabbed the crystal from around (Y/n)'s neck, tearing it off with a snap._

_"Then be ready for what's to come."_

_"You won't find the other half, and even if you do the power you gain will never be loyal to you."_

_Thanos smirked, "I already have. And I don't need it to be loyal, it will follow its siblings into submission."_

(Y/n)'s eyes snapped open as her body shot up. Loki stirred from next to her, his long hair brushing over his shoulders as he did so.

(Y/n) placed her hand below her collarbone, her panic rising. Loki's eyes slowly opened, glancing up at his wife.

"Are you alright darling?"

"My necklace is gone, someone took it."

"You think someone would sneak into the Asgardian palace and steal the necklace from an Infinity Stone holder?" Loki kissed (Y/n)'s cheek gently, "I'm certain you just took it off before you bathed."

"Yes...Yes perhaps I did."

"In any case, I need a way to fall back asleep darling," Loki kissed (Y/n)'s shoulder.

(Y/n) smiled and turned around to face Loki. Her panic began to fall away, but there was something in her stomach that remained. Something that told her that her "dream" was a lot more than that.


	26. Surtur

Dark and cramped. Those were the two words that (Y/n) could use to describe her current situation. How did she get there? After she spent time with Wanda and she returned to Asgard, having the vision about Thanos filled her with a sudden determination to find the other stones, or rather, check in on them to make sure they were secure. In the process her and Thor were attacked by surprise, and lacking her stone, (Y/n) was very hesitant about using her powers excessively in fear of losing control.

(Y/n) looked at the bars around her, rolling her eyes. She was more concerned about what Surtur wanted with them than was escaping.

"How much longer do you think we'll be here?" Thor asked.

He got his answer wjem the bottom of the cage dropped out. The two began to fall in their chains until (Y/n) stopped herself and Thor reached the end.

"Thor, Son of Odin. (Y/n), holder of the Reality Stone."

The two turned and looked at Surtur. Eighteen-feet-tall, with flesh made of fire.

"Surtur. Son of a bitch, you're still alive! I thought my father killed you, like, half a million years ago!" Thor exclaimed.

"I cannot die. Not until I fulfill my destiny and lay waste to your  
Home."

"All villains, always so set on destroying something," (Y/n) grumbled.

"You know, it's funny you should mention that because I've been  
having these terrible dreams of late. Asgard up in flames, falling to ruins, and you Surtur are at the center of all of them."

(Y/n) sent Thor a panicked look. It seemed as though both of them were having awful visions.

"Then you have seen Ragnarok, the fall of Asgard. The great prophecy-"

"Hang on, just a moment," (Y/n) ordered as her and Thor began to swing away from Surtur, she wiggled her fingers and moved the two of them back towards him, "Continue with the evil plan."

"My time has come. When my crown is reunited with the Eternal Flame, I  
shall be restored to my full might. I will tower over the mountains and  
bury my sword deep in Asgard's-"

"Oh, wait," the two began to turn away from Surtur again. (Y/n) closed her palm and kept it closed so they wouldn't move again, "So let me clarify, you're going to put your crown into the Eternal Flame and you'll grow to the size of a house-"

"A mountain!"

"Right," (Y/n) said skeptically, "So, the Eternal Flame that Odin keeps on Asgard?"

Surtur grinned, "Odin is not on Asgard. And your absence has left the throne  
Defenseless."

(Y/n) paled, knowing that this was something Thor would want to investigate.

"Okay, so where is it? This crown?" Thor asked.

"This is my Crown, the source of my power," Surtur pointed at the horns on his head.

"Oh, that's a crown? I thought it was a big eyebrow," Thor squinted.

"It's a crown," Surtur growled.

"So all we have to do is rip the crown off of your head," (Y/n) stated, "Then we can return to our rightful places and I can retrieve some food. Lovely."

Surtur stood, dragging his sword on the ground as he approached the pair, "But Ragnarok has already begun. You cannot stop it. I am Asgard's doom, and so are you. All will suffer, all will burn."

Surtur grabbed the two's chains, causing their heads to smash together.

"Ow," (Y/n) groaned, becoming much more annoyed than she already was.

"That's intense. To be honest, seeing you grow really big and set fire to a planet would be quite the spectacle. But it looks like we're going to have to go with option B where we bust out of these chains, knock that tiara off your head, and stash it away in Asgard's vault," Thor smirked.

"You cannot stop Ragnarok. Why fight it?"

"Because that's what heroes do," Nthing happened for a few moments and everything fell into an awkward silence, "Wait, sorry. I didn't time that right."

"Dear lord Thor," (Y/n) rolled her eyes, "Why do I have to do everything?"

(Y/n) twisted her wrist and their chains snapped in half. As they fell to the ground Mjolnir crashed through the ceiling of the cavern, finding its rightful place in Thor's hand.

(Y/n) drew her sword and swung towards Surtur.

"You have made a grave mistake," Surtur claimed.

A large swarm of fire demons ran to Surtur's aid against the heroes. (Y/n) focused on using her sword, not her powers. She trusted herself, but with her current situation- well, _situations-_ she was going to play it safe.

After she cut through a few rows of soldiers she heard a large roar, a roar that echoed and shook the cavern. She looked over, letting out a loud sigh (Y/n) tilted her head up and looked at the dragon facing them.

"Thor, handle the soldiers," she ordered, "I got Surtur."

(Y/n) felt electricity run up her legs and she knew that Thor had likely taken out the rest of the fire demons. She began to run towards Surtur, throwing up a shield when he swung his own sword down.

"I'm done with this," (Y/n)'s grip slipped on her caution a bit as she lashed out, throwing up her arm and basically knocking Surtur's crown off of his head in a quick swoop of power.

The rest of Surtur's body fell to the ground in a heap of dust and bones. (Y/n) waved her hand and the crown disappeared into a pocket reality. (Y/n) heard echoing footsteps and knew more fire demons were coming.

"Time to go Thor," (Y/n) ordered, running towards him.

Thor lifted his hammer, "Heimdall. I know it's been a while, but I could use a fast exit!"

Nothing, the Bifrost didn't touch down, no sign that Heimdall had even heard them.

"We need to leave," (Y/n) mumbled, jumping up and taking off out of the cavern, Thor following soon after. She heard a large snap and looked behind her, eyes widening when she saw the dragon chasing them.

"Heimdall!" (Y/n) yelled, feeling the dragon's hot breath behind her, "This is not the time to be away."

Thor turned around and dropped his hammer into the dragon's mouth, making him stop and drop to the ground. The two dropped down, taking a break from their flight while they tried to summon Heimdall.

The ground began to break beneath them and more fire demons emerged. (Y/n) rolled her eyes and took off again, Thor summoning Mjolnir and following closely behind.

"Heimdall!" (Y/n) called one last time when the dragon opened its mouth to swallow the two when the Bifrost opened, sucking them up and away.

The two landed in Asgard, the severed head of the dragon landing just behind him. (Y/n) looked to Thor.

"You aren't staying in Asgard long are you?" (Y/n) asked.

"What would be the matter if I did?" Thor asked suspiciously.

"Well well, look who decided to pop in. Thanks for scaring away my company and drenching my workplace in brains," a man with two tattoos on either side of his head stated, running a hand over his face to rid it of dragon blood.

"Who are you?" Thor questioned.

"Don't you remember? I'm Skurge. We fought together on Vanaheim."

"Where's Heimdall?"

"That traitor. No one knows, he's a fugitive of the throne."

"What?" (Y/n) asked in shock, "Fugitive of the throne, for what?"

"Yeah, you see, Odin charged Heimdall with negligence of duty, but he disappeared before the trial. Hard to catch a guy who can see everything in the Universe."

"Oh dear Gods, this is what happens when I leave for a few months," (Y/n) groaned.

It seemed as though she was on a warpath as she walked towards the exit, Thor following close behind her, slightly confused as to why she seemed upset.

"Hold on. I'm supposed to announce your arrival," Skurge tried to stop the two before they took off.

"Thor, listen to me," (Y/n) started as they approached the palace, "I know I should have told you earlier."

She paused what she was saying when she landed, looking up at the large statue of Loki.

"Dear Sister, explain to me why you wear your rings on your finger instead of a necklace," Thor looked to (Y/n).

"You already know the answer," (Y/n) whispered.

The two walked through the crowd gathered around a stage. There, a production was being put on. A rather...interesting one. The actor who was playing Loki fell dramatically onto the stage, Thor's actor holding him closely.

As the two walked closer to the stage they saw Odin sitting upon a chaise lounge, sipping wine and obviously enjoying the show. (Y/n) frowned, not knowing what exactly to do. All she could do was take in a deep breath and remind herself of all the Midgardian books she had been reading, the information she needed surprisingly lacking on Asgard.

"I'm sorry I tried to rule Earth," Loki's actor claimed dramatically.

"They'd be lucky to have you."

"I'm sorry about that thing with the Tesseract. I just couldn't help myself. I'm a trickster."

"So mischievous," Thor's actor said tearfully.

Gods, was (Y/n) happy she wasn't being represented in this play.

"Sorry about that time I turned you into a frog."

"It was a wonderful joke."

"You are the savior of Asgard."

"Tell my story."

"I will. I will tell father what you did today."

"I didn't do it for him. I did it for her."

(Y/n) couldn't help but 'aww' with the crowd as they all knew the 'her' Loki was referring to. Loki then 'died'.

"No!" Thor's actor screamed.

Odin's actor stepped forward and began to narrate, "And so Loki died of his wounds, giving his life for ours. He fought back those disgusting dark elves. He brought peace to the realm."

A young boy painted blue crawled onto a rock next to Odin's actor, "Loki, my boy. 'Twas many moons ago I found you on a frost-bitten battlefield. On that day, I did not yet see in you Asgard's savior. No. You were merely a little blue baby icicle  
that melted this old fool's heart."

The crowd erupted into loud cheers and applause. Odin stood, leading the crowd in a standing ovation.

"Father," Thor finally spoke.

"Oh, shit," Odin mumbled in his glass of wine before setting it down, "Thor and (Y/n) have returned!"

"Interesting play," (Y/n) cut in, watching as Odin paled, "What's it called?"

"The Tragedy of Loki of Asgard. The people wanted to commemorate him," Odin gave (Y/n) a begging look, to which she returned with a mental message.

_You deserve this for doing all of this while I was gone._

"I like that statue. A lot better looking than he was when he was  
alive, though. A little less weasley." Odin scowled before become normal faced again, "You know what this is?"

"The skull of Surtur? That's a formidable weapon," Odin stated.

"Do me a favor. Lock this in a vault so it doesn't turn into a giant monster and destroy the whole planet," Thor ordered a guard.

"So it's back to Midgard for you, is it?"

"Nope. I've been having this recurring dream lately. Every night I see Asgard fall into ruins-"

"That's just a silly dream. Signs of an overactive imagination."

"You said the same thing to me before my necklace was taken," (Y/n) said, visibly making Odin more nervous.

"But then I decide to go out there with (Y/n) and investigate. And what do I find, but the Nine Realms completely in chaos. Enemies of Asgard assembling, plotting our demise, all while you, Odin, the protector of those Nine Realms, are  
sitting here in your bathrobe, eating grapes," Thor glared.

"Well, it is best to respect our neighbors' freedom. But I have been rather busy myself, board meetings and such."

"You really going to make me do it?" Thor questioned.

Thor hurled Mjolnir off into the distance, and grabbed Odin by the back of the neck. (Y/n) crossed her arms, raising a brow in interest.

"You know that nothing will stop Mjolnir as it returns to my hand. Not even your face."

"You'll be executed for this!"

"Then I'll see you on the other side...brother."

Loki's illusion disappeared and he jumped away from Mjolnir.

"Alright I yield!"

"Lovely to see you Loki," (Y/n) said sarcastically.

"I missed you darling, I had to find something to do," Loki defended himself.

"Behold! Thor Odinson, and (Y/n)-"

"You had one job! Just the one," Loki snapped at Skurge.

"Where's Odin?" Thor asked.

"You just couldn't stay away could you? Everything was fine without you. We were married in peace, Asgard was prospering. You've ruined everything."

"Where's father? Did you kill him?" Thor grabbed Loki by the neck.

"No, Thor, I would have never allowed that," (Y/n) put a hand on Thor's shoulder, "All three of us know who is in control here."

"Then where is he?" Thor turned to (Y/n), betrayal shining in his eyes.

"We'll take you to him."


	27. Hela's Return

(Y/n) stared at the Shady acres Nursing Home as it was in the process of being demolished. In order to 'blend in' better with the civilians all of them had changed into street clothes. Thor in a sweatshirt and jacket, (Y/n) in a blouse and jeans, and Loki...Being the um, stubborn person he was, was wearing an all-black suit.

It made them more noticeable- not that two Avengers one with highly noticeable face markings wasn't already noticeable, but not being noticed wasn't top priority at the moment.

"I swear, I left him right here," Loki claimed.

"I made sure to visit him while I was on Asgard," (Y/n) added.

"Right here on the sidewalk? Or right there, where the building that's being demolished? Great planning," Thor rolled his eyes.

"How was I supposed to know? I can't see into the future. I'm not a witch."

"Then why do you dress like one?"

(Y/n) snorted, grinning innocently when Loki glared at her., "It's a bit true and you know it."

"I can't believe you're alive. I saw you die. I mourned you, I cried for you," Thor looked to (Y/n), "And you lied to me about his whereabouts."

"I didn't lie to you, I just didn't tell you that he was alive," (Y/n) defended, "What would you do if you knew he was alive? Tear us apart again?"

Before the three could continue their arguments two girls walked up to (Y/n) and Thor.

"Hi. Would you mind taking a picture with us?" One of the girls asked nervously.

"Sure."

The two smiled at the camera one of the girls held up.

"Sorry to hear that Jane dumped you," the second girl stated.

"She didn't dump me, you know. I dumped her. It was a mutual dumping," Thor tried to explain as the girls walked away.

(Y/n) turned to Loki and noticed the ground below Loki's feet glowing.

"What's this, what are you doing?" Thor asked in a panic.

"This isn't me," the ground opened up beneath Loki and he fell into it. A card was all that was left on the sidewalk.

"Loki," thor poked the card with his umbrella.

"Thor that isn't Loki," (Y/n) bent down and picked up the card, "Just like I thought."

"What?"

"I know exactly who took Loki."

~*~

(Y/n) looked up at 177 Bleecker Street, seeing straight through the illusions put over it. This was the New York Sanctum. She had visited here briefly to discuss Infinity Stones with Dr. Strange. She stepped up to the door and knocked twice, stumbling briefly when she was moved into one of the artifact rooms.

"Thor Odinson, (Y/n) Laufeyson," Doctor Strange drifted towards Thor and (Y/n). He noticed Thor's defensive stature compared to (Y/n)'s calm one, "You can put down the umbrella."

"It's alright Thor, he's trustworthy," (Y/n) assured.

"So Earth has wizards now?" Thor questioned.

"The preferred term is 'Master of the Mystic Arts,'" Doctor Strange stated.

"Alright wizard, who are you? Why should I care?"

"My name is Doctor Stephen Strange and I have some questions for you. Some of which I already asked (Y/n). Take a seat."

The room changed and the three were now sitting in high-backed chairs.

"Tea?"

"I don't drink tea," Thor said in distaste.

"What do you drink?"

"Not tea."

Thor then had a stein of beer in his hand. (Y/n) looked at her own stein in minor disgust.

"I'll take the tea if you don't mind," even though she could easily have her own tea appear, it seemed rude to just change what Doctor Strange had given her.

Doctor Strange's mouth quirked up, "Yes, I suppose you would take the tea. I suggest lemon balm."

(Y/n) took a sip from her cup, nodding in approval.

"So I keep a watch list of individuals and beings from other realms that may be a threat to this world. Your adopted brother Loki, and your husband, is one of these beings."

"He's a worthy inclusion," Thor agreed, (Y/n) nodding.

"Though I would like to say he never did anything bad on purpose," (Y/n) cut in before leaning back.

"Why bring him here? Forced to do evil or not."

"We're looking for my father," Thor explained.

"So. If you were to tell you where Odin was, all parties concerned would promptly return to Asgard?"

"Thor and Loki would, I may have business," (Y/n) said.

"Great, then I'll gladly help you."

"If you knew where he was, why didn't you call me?"

"I have to tell you, he was adamant that he not be disturbed. Your  
father said he had chosen to remain in exile," Doctor Strange paused, "I know (Y/n) has a phone, but you don't."

"No, I don't have a phone, but you could have sent an electronic letter. It's called an email," Thor said in a matter of fact tone.

"I didn't know you had a computer," (Y/n) raised her brow in interest.

"I don't, what are they for?"

(Y/n) pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. How was he considered one of the smartest people on Asgard?

"Anyway, my father is no longer in exile. So if you could tell me where he is, I can take him home."

"Gladly. He's in Norway," Strange stood and suddenly they were standing by a bookcase. (Y/n) lowered her hands and her teacup disappeared, "I'm just seeing whether this incantation requires any Asgardian modifications...Nope. I need just one strand of your hair."

"Let me explain something, my hair is not to be meddled wi-"

(Y/n) plucked a strand of hair from Thor's head, holding it out to Strange.

Strange began to incantation, transporting them to the front staircase of the Sanctum. He finally opened the portal, giving a glance of a peaceful meadow.

"Don't forget your umbrella," Strange reminded.

"Right," Thor extended his arm and crashing noises rang through the Sanctum. A lot of crashing noises.

"I'll repair that," (Y/n) assured as the umbrella flew into Thor's hand, "Also, I would appreciate it if I got my husband back."

"Yeah, right."

A portal opened from above, a screaming Loki landing hard on the floor.

"I have been falling for thirty minutes!" Loki shouted.

"Thank you very much for your help," Thor shook Dr. Strange's hand.

"Who are you?" Loki asked with a growl.

Loki drew two daggers from his belt, ready to attack, "You think you're some kind of sorcerer? Don't think for one minute, you second-rate-"

"Bye-bye," Strange moved his hands and sent the three through the portal.

The scenery around them was beautiful, peaceful. It was untouched by humanity.

"Father?" Thor spoke up, approaching Odin's figure cautiously.

"Look at this place. It's beautiful," Odin said distantly, "My children. I've been waiting for you."

(Y/n) couldn't help but notice the surprise on Loki's face when Odin called him his son.

"I know. We've come to take you home," Thor assured.

"Home, yes. Your mother, she calls me. Do you hear it?"

"Loki, lift your magic," Thor ordered.

"This isn't magic Thor," (Y/n) whispered.

Odin turned to Loki, "Took me quite a while to break free from your spell. Frigga would have been proud," Odin looked at (Y/n), "I understand your actions, enjoy your lives together. Come and sit with me. I don't have much time."

The three sat on the rocks near Odin.

"I know that we failed you, but we can make this right," Thor said in determination.

"I failed you," Odin shook his head, "It is upon us...Ragnarok."

"No, I've stopped Ragnarok. I put an end to Surtur," Thor assured.

"No. It has already begun. She's coming. My life was all that held her back, but my time has come. I cannot keep her away any longer."

"She's real?" (Y/n) asked in shock, "I thought she was just a legend formed from history."

"Father, who are you talking about?"

"The Goddess of Death. Hela. My firstborn. Your sister. Her violent appetites grew beyond my control. I couldn't stop her, so I imprisoned her. Locked her away. She draws her strength from Asgard... and once she gets there, her powers will be limitless. Even you (Y/n), will find her to be a most worthy opponent."

"Whatever she is, we can stop her. We can face her together."

"No, we won't. I'm on a different path now. This you must face alone," Odin looked up at the sky, "I love you, my children. Look at that. Remember this place. Home."

A soft glow overcame the area and Odin was gone, his soul turned into stardust and floating towards the sky. (Y/n) let out a shaky breath, bowing her head for a moment of respect.

While he wasn't the best father, he was a good king, and he tried for his people. That was what mattered.

Thor stood from his place, turning to Loki and (Y/n). His eyes were alight with rage.

"Brother," Loki said cautiously.

"This was your doing," Thor growled.

Before the tension between the three could escalate into something physical a black circle appeared before them in the field. The portal became larger and larger until it stopped.

"She's coming," (Y/n) whispered, her Midgardian clothing turning into her armor. Loki and Thor followed her lead, feeling the upcoming danger as well.

Hela sauntered from the portal, her armor ripped and hair askew. But her appearance didn't take away from the air of danger that was around her.

"So he's gone?" Hela asked after a moment of looking at her surroundings, "That's a shame. I would've liked to have seen that."

"You must be Hela. I'm Thor, son of Odin," Thor introduced himself.

"Really? You don't look like him," Hela gave Thor a once-over.

"Perhaps we can reach an arrangement," Loki offered.

"You sound like him," Hela groaned, she looked to (Y/n), "Well look at you. Father was always talking about you coming someday. You might be the only challenge here. But not a big enough challenge, I sense it within you, instability, distraction. Kneel."

"Beg your pardon?" Loki seemed almost offended. If the situation was better, (Y/n) would have laughed.

"Kneel...before your Queen," Hela summoned a pitch-black blade.

Thor wound up and hurled Mjolnir at Hela. Everything seemed to freeze as the hammer came to a stop against Hela's hand. The three watched in shock as Hela put pressure against the hammer, forming cracks until it broke, falling to the ground in pieces.

Thor looked devastated, motionless and wide-eyed. Hela ran her hands over her head to create a horned battle headdress.

"Bring us back!" Loki yelled to the sky.

"Loki no!" (Y/n) screamed, but it was too late, the Bifrost was activated and they were being pulled back to Asgard.  
But it was too late, Hela was behind them, catching up. Loki two daggers at her, but she deflected them back at Loki, causing him to fly out.

"No!" (Y/n) screamed.

"Love will be your downfall," Hela smirked at (Y/n) before she threw a dagger into her shoulder, throwing her from the Bifrost as well.

(Y/n) looked out at space, spotting Loki's rapidly retreating form in front of her. She reached out to him, pulling him closer to her.

"Darling?" Loki asked in shock.

"We're gonna be okay," (Y/n) assured, closing her eyes tightly and putting her hand over her stomach as they were sucked into another part of space, "We're gonna be fine."

(Y/n) noticed an oncoming planet. (Y/n) held out her hands, pushing off to slow her and Loki down before they harmed themselves with a hard landing.

"Ow," (Y/n) groaned when she landed, "Oh gross."

They were surrounded by garbage, and from the looks of it, it originated from all of the realms.

"Where the hell are we?" (Y/n) muttered.

"Are you a fighter, or food?" Someone asked.

(Y/n) turned and looked at the pack of people that were currently surrounding them.

"Fighter," (Y/n) answered, shaking her hands, "This is not the time."

The men lifted their weapons. (Y/n) rolled her eyes, swinging her hands upwards and sending all of them to different areas of the dump they were in.

"You saved me a lot of work," a female voice said from behind them, "Now I'd appreciate it if you followed me."

(Y/n) turned to the young girl. After observing her for a few moments (Y/n) nodded.

"Why are we following this woman blindly?" Loki asked as they entered her ship.

"Because she's trustworthy," (Y/n) whispered back.

"The Grandmaster will be very interested in meeting you," the woman said as they took off, "He might even keep you out of the tournament."

It was a smooth ride into the city. Loki was silently brooding in the back of the ship, refusing to trust the woman, unlike (Y/n) who seemed all too willing to.

"We need to find a way to get off of this planet," (Y/n) told Loki, "Thor may need our help.

"This planet obviously doesn't know, it's a fresh start darling."

(Y/n) sighed, looking out the window. They were landing in the building at the center of the city.

"Alright you two, off," the woman ordered, "The Grandmaster is waiting and I need to go buy more booze."

"What have you brought me today?"

"That's for your choosing," the woman looked up at the man sitting in front of them, "They took out the trash scrappers faster than any other."

"Too good for the tournament then, move me closer," the woman behind the Grandmaster pushed his seat, moving him closer to the pair, "Ah, I see. Yes, maybe we'll keep them as allies, they're good poster-faces."

"Excuse me, Sir-"

"Sir, I like her," the Grandmaster grinned.

"Where are we?"

"Oh right," the man stood up, holding out his arms, "Welcome to Sakaar!"


	28. Sakaar

"Sakaar? I've never heard of this system before."

"Yes, well, this is where all lost things in the universe eventually end up," Grandmaster explained, "We're on the edge of what's known, even past that."

"Well how do get out of here?" (Y/n) questioned.

"Get out of here?" the Grandmaster began to laugh, "You can't just leave, it doesn't work like that."

"Alright, but the realms are in danger," (Y/n) argued.

"Oo, you hear that? The realms are in danger," the Grandmaster looked to the woman who brought her and Loki in, "Scrapper one-four-two you know how to find 'em."

"If you wouldn't mind Grandmaster I'd like to be paid," the woman requested.

"Right, of course, give her the units please."

The woman received her payment and gave a mock salute to (Y/n), glaring at Loki as she left.

"So you're telling me I can't get off this planet?" (Y/n) crossed her arms.

"Not without my permission, and no offense, but I like having as many citizens as possible."

"Listen to me right now," (Y/n) took a step closer to the Grandmaster, "I am the holder of the Reality Stone, and if you do not let me leave this planet this instant I swear-"

Loki placed his hand over (Y/n)'s mouth, smiling at the Grandmaster.

"You'll excuse my wife, she had problems controlling her emotions."

"She called me Sir, she's forgiven."

The woman next to the Grandmaster held out a large staff, which he shook his head to.

"No, she's really forgiven, not forgiven from life," Grandmaster corrected, "Since you two will be staying with me now I'll have one of my servants show you to your rooms."

(Y/n) took Loki's hand off of her mouth, sending him a dangerous look before she followed after the servant girl who motioned for the two to follow her.

They were led to a large room decorated in a strange fashion. The theme was white and blue, going quite well together actually.

"Thank you," (Y/n) thanked the servant, waiting for her to leave before she turned to Loki, "What was that back there?"

"Darling if he's the ruler of this place then the only chance we have is to gain his favor."

"Chance we have? Are you telling me you want to stay here?"

"Look at it," Loki pointed out the window, "This is a kingdom we could rule together someday, raise a family."

"Loki if we don't leave then this place, along with every other planet, will be conquered by Hela," (Y/n) crossed her arms.

"Not if you protect this planet," Loki argued, "I know you're scared to use your powers because you don't have your necklace to contain it, but I believe in you."

"I want _everywhere_ to be safe for our family," (Y/n) grumbled, "I understand your want to rule somewhere that can't be taken away from you, but _I_ want to protect the universe."

"Alright," Loki caved, "We will stay until we can gain the Grandmasters favor and one of his ships to take-off of the planet, deal?"

"Deal," (Y/n) nodded, hugging Loki tightly, "I missed you."

"I missed you too, darling," Loki said into (Y/n)'s hair, "I hate it when you have to go away for long periods of time."

"I know," (Y/n) sighed, "But this job is demanding, and with everything that had happened the last few years, I can't help but feel like something big is coming, something worse than anything we've ever faced."

"Whatever the threat is, we'll face it together."

~*~

Two weeks of sucking up to the Grandmaster and winning his favor had slightly paid off. They were still alive and in high favor, being allowed almost everywhere in the capital, but the one place they weren't trusted in was the ship bay. That was a bridge they had yet to cross.

"Would you like a drink ma'am?"

"Oh, no thank you," (Y/n) waved away the attendant, continuing to stare out the window at the busy world. It was strange, the Grandmaster had built this over the course of thousands of years, (Y/n) couldn't help but be impressed.

(Y/n) suddenly felt something twist in her gut. She put a hand on her stomach, sitting up straighter. It was Thor, he was here on Sakaar. It had been nearly two weeks, what brought him here now?

(Y/n) kept on eyeing the Grandmaster's keyboard, waiting for him to arrive with Thor. This had happened once or twice when new contestants had arrived.

Lo and behold, there he was. Thor was strapped to a chair while being forced to follow the Grandmaster.

"We're not friends, and I don't give a shit about your games! I'm going  
back to Asgard!"

"Ass-guard?" The Grandmaster asked, amused, "You're starting to sound like (Y/n), she's a hoot, calls me Sir. Oh, there she is, (Y/n)!"

(Y/n) repeatedly tapped Loki's arm, pointing out Thor to them. The pair stood, rushing over to Thor.

"What? You're alive?" Loki questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm stuck in this stupid chair. Where are your chairs?"

"We didn't get chairs," (Y/n) stated.

"Why did you not get a chair?"

"We have this weird friend relationship with the Grandmaster," (Y/n) explained, "We got here a few weeks ago."

"The Grandmaster? He's crazy! How in the world did you get here weeks ago? I just got here."

"What are you whispering about?" The Grandmaster whispered, shocking the three, "Time works real different around these parts. On any other world, I'd be like, millions of years old. But here on Sakaar...In any case, you know this- You call yourself Lord of Thunder?"

"God of Thunder," Thor corrected, "Tell him."

"I've never met this man in my life," Loki claimed. (Y/n) smacked his arm.

"He's my brother," Thor stated, "And she's my sister by marriage."

"Adopted," Loki added.

"Is he any kind of a fighter?"

"He's won many battles," (Y/n) assured.

"You take this thing out of my neck and I'll show you," Thor growled.

"Now listen to that. He's threatening me," Grandmaster laughed, "Hey, Sparkles, here's the deal. If you wanna get back to Ass-place, Assberg-"

"Asgard," (Y/n) corrected.

"Any contender who defeats my champion their freedom they shall earn. And because you are so delightful to look at, I'll let your adoptive, sister by marriage person go with you if she wants, even if she is my favorite."

"Fine. Then point me in the direction of whoever's ass I have to kick," Thor growled.

"Thor trust me you don't want to do that," (Y/n) whispered.

"Don't listen to her it'll be great. Direction would be this way, Lord."

Three guards arrived and hauled Thor away from the main area. (Y/n) watched, wanting to intervene, but knowing there was no use when Thor didn't have his hammer and when (Y/n) was unstable.

"You guys have a weird family," the Grandmaster stated, "Relatable really, my brother, wherever he is, decided to spend his life collecting all of this weird junk, sounds awfully cluttered to me."

Loki and (Y/n) shared a look before dismissing themselves, walking to their room before sending illusions to the holding room for the Gladiators.

"Odin, I bid you take your place in the halls of Valhalla. There the brave shall live forever. Nor shall we mourn but rejoice for those that have died the glorious death."

"For those that have died the glorious death," Loki and (Y/n) finished.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Being lied to. Being told you're one thing and then learning it's all a fiction," Loki sighed.

Thor picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at Loki, the stone going straight through.

"We aren't really here," (Y/n) stated, "It's filthy, you'd think the Grandmaster would be cleaner."

Thor threw a stone through (Y/n) this time. She sighed before speaking again, "I'm sorry, for not being able to get you out, but with my crystal being gone and being...under these circumstances, I'm a bit unstable."

"Yes, but what we're telling you is, you could join us at the Grandmaster's side. Perhaps, in time, an accident befalls the Grandmaster, and then we take over."

"That is not what we discussed Loki," (Y/n) frowned.

"I thought you'd be more open to it now," Loki defended, "You two aren't seriously thinking of going back, are you? Our sister destroyed your hammer like a piece of glass. She's stronger than both of us and Odin said she could fight (Y/n) well- Would you say something?"

"What would you like me to say?" Thor questioned, "You faked your own death, you stole the throne, stripped Odin of his power, stranded him on Earth to die, releasing the Goddess of Death. And you, (Y/n), knew of Loki's plan and of him being alive and told me nothing. You didn't even save Father. Have I said enough, or do you want me to go further back than the past two days?"

There was a tense silence throughout the holding cell before Loki decided to speak again.

"You know, I haven't seen this Beloved Champion he talks of, but I've heard he's astonishingly savage. I've placed a large wager against you tomorrow. Don't let me down," Loki's illusion shimmered before he vanished.

"I hate him sometimes," (Y/n) muttered, "Thor, I understand your anger, but I checked on Odin as often as I could while I was on Earth and while his magic and memories were affected, he gave no indication of passing, I would have helped if he did."

"Is there anything else you haven't told me?" Thor asked.

"Loki and I were married," (Y/n) said quickly, wincing when Thor's eyes lit up with anger, "The Warriors Three, Darcy, Sif, and Nat were there."

"And you didn't think to inform your _brother_?"

"I've been fighting to have a happy ending with Loki for six years Thor," (Y/n) whispered, "For once, I wanted to be able to have that, for just a little while. I'm working on something to get us out of here, trust me."

(Y/n) closed her eyes and her illusion disappeared as did the containment cell as she appeared back in her room.

"Do you think he'll ever forgive me?" Loki questioned.

"Thor just lost his father, he's hurt and he's angry, but he'll come around," (Y/n) assured.

"Excuse me, the Grandmaster has sent for you. The Lord of Thunder has been sent to processing in order to prepare for the match."

"Alright, showtime then," (Y/n) sighed, "Do you think Thor will win so we can get off this planet?"

"Well, it depends on how good this so-called Champion is," Loki stated.

The two began to walk from their room to the Grandmaster's private booth. They were passing by a separate hallway when (Y/n) spotted Scrapper 142.

"You go on ahead Loki, I'll be there in a moment," (Y/n) kissed Loki's cheek before quickly walking down the hallway towards the woman.

"Excuse me," she called.

Scrapper 142 turned around, annoyed, "What do you want?"

"You're Asgardian," (Y/n) reached for the girl's hand but she pulled it away. (Y/n) huffed, wiggling her fingers and forcing the hand back towards her. She adjusted the woman's cuff, grinning when she saw the symbol on her arm, "I knew it. You're a Valkyrie."

Valkyrie yanked back her arm, pulling out a dagger, "I know who you are, but that doesn't mean I won't be able to get in some good hits, it seems you're out of service at the moment anyway."

"If you know why then you won't attack me," (Y/n) said surely, "Listen, Asgard, the universe, is in danger. If you're really a Valkyrie-"

"I stopped being a Valkyrie as soon as Odin had all of my friends killed," Valkyrie looked away as she began to tear up.

"Not just your friends," (Y/n) whispered, knowing the look in her eyes all too well, "I understand, but your planet needs you, your kingdom."

"Asgard isn't my kingdom anymore, and I'm a scrapper, not a Valkyrie," Valkyrie turned and stalked off, most likely to buy some alcohol for the match.

(Y/n) entered the VIP box and sat down next to Loki, leaning against him and sighing, preparing herself for the fight that Thor had ahead of him.

_"Wow! Look at all of you. What a show, what a night! Who's having fun? Please, I'm your host. Big round of applause for all of our undercard competitors who died so gruesomely. Good sports. This is what you've come for and so have I. And now, without further ado...It's main event time! Making his first appearance, though_ _he looks quite promising, got a couple of tricks up his sleeve. I'll say no more, see what you think. Ladies and gentlemen I give to you, Lord of Thunder!"_

Thor slowly walked into the arena, his hair now very short. Loki laughed.

"He loved his hair," he stated.

"Don't laugh just yet, I'm going to cut yours soon," (Y/n) told the God, smirking when his eyes became concerned.

_"Watch out for his fingers. They make sparks. Okay, this is it. Let's get ready_   
_to welcome this guy. Here he comes. He is a creature. What can we say about him? Well, he's unique. There's none like him. I feel a special connection with him."_

The arena floor began to shake violently. (Y/n) sat up, interested in what Thor's reaction would be. If it was anything like hers, then this would make an interesting match.

_"He's undefeated. He's the reigning! He's the defending! Ladies and gentlemen...I give you the Incredible Hulk!"_


	29. What Heroes Do

The sound of Hulk's roar seemed to drown out everything else going on in the arena. Thor looked up at the beast for a few moments before laughing and lifting his arms in victory.

"Oh shit," Loki mumbled, paling at the sight of the Hulk.

"Yes!" Thor screamed.

"I have to get off this planet," Loki said in a panic.

"So now you want to leave" (Y/n) raised a brow.

"Hey! We know each other!" Thor shouted to the Grandmaster, "He's a friend from work!"

The Grandmaster sent a confused look to Loki and (Y/n) at Thor's statement.

"Where have you been? Everybody thought you were dead. So much has happened since I last saw you. I lost my hammer. Like, yesterday, so that's still pretty fresh. Loki! Loki's alive. Can you believe it? He's up there with (Y/n), she's here too. Loki! Look who it is!"

The Hulk grunted and looked up, glaring at Loki. (Y/n) couldn't help but laugh, this was the best thing that had happened since they got here.

"Why are you laughing, he's going to kill me," Loki hissed.

"I know New York wasn't your fault but this is karma," (Y/n) explained, wiping a tear from her eye, "Oh this is amazing."

The Hulk charged at Thor, seemingly forgetting all of the battles that they had fought together. Hulk kicked Thor, sending him back into a wall. Thor jumped out of the way just in time to avoid Hulk's hammer. Thor ripped the hammer out of the wall and smacked Hulk with it.

Thor slowly approached Hulk, taking his helmet off, "Hey, big guy. The sun's getting real low."

"No way," (Y/n) stood up, walking closer to the glass, "That's not going to work, it can't."

"That's it. The sun's going down. I won't hurt you anymore. No one will-"

Hulk grabbed Thor by the leg and whipped him against the arena floor, similar to the way he did to Loki during the attack on New York.

"Yes! That's how it feels!" Loki yelled, jumping up and fist-pumping.

"There's Thor's karma for your childhood," (Y/n) muttered.

Thor gave up his peaceful approach and threw himself into the fight. Their weapons clashed together time after time and Thor seemed to gain the upper hand, using Hulk's aggression against him.

"What's the matter with you? You're embarrassing me! I told them we were friends!"

Hulk growled and hit Thor with a straight jab. He jumped onto Thor, punching him viciously. (Y/n) twisted the rings on her finger, concerned with how the fight would end up. She noticed that Thor's eyes began to glow and spark. The Hulk suddenly got knocked back with a burst of lightning. Seething with electricity, Thor sprung to his feet and blasted Hulk with a massive lightning punch.

Both Hulk and Thor staggered to their feet. They began to run towards each other again. Then, Thor fell to the ground, twitching. (Y/n) glanced over and saw that the Grandmaster was pressing the button.

"That's not fair," (Y/n) took a step towards the Grandmaster, but Loki grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to him.

"That's not smart darling," He whispered into her ear, "You know it isn't."

"I know, I'm fine, I'm good," (Y/n) stepped away from Loki, holding her hands up.

Hulk planted his feet and jumped. He zoomed up, rocketing out of the arena. At the apex of his jump, he clenched his fist and began his descent. As Hulk neared Thor he seemed to wake up,. As he did, he held out his hand, just as Hulk landed.

~*~

"Heimdal," (Y/n) whispered, lifting her chin towards the sky as if it would connect her to him more.

_"(Y/n), see through my eyes."_

_(Y/n) gasped as she was sent to Asgard through Heimdall's eyes. She was in the forest just outside of the main city. Heimdall was helping a family towards the old worship temple in the mountains._

_"What's happening here?" She questioned._

_"Hela is killing her own people to make them fear and listen to her. I'm getting as many families out of the city as I can, but we have already lost many. You must come back to Asgard."_

_"I'm trying Heimdall, but Thor is stuck here and Loki is being difficult."_

_(Y/n) gasped as one of Hela's soldiers approached Heimdal, drawing his sword._

_"You can control reality, my child, what more do you need?"_

_"Guarantee of control," (Y/n) sighed, "A guarantee that when I start using my powers I won't kill everyone near me."_

_"You don't need-" Heimdall cut himself off when one of the soldiers nearly cut his middle._

(Y/n) could feel herself slipping away from Heimdall's eyes, from Asgard. She blinked and when she did she was back on Sakaar.

"God I hate this place," (Y/n) muttered, leaving her room to go to the Hulk's where Thor was being treated for his injuries.

(Y/n) walked through the halls, nodding at the guards and people she passed so it wouldn't be suspicious. She turned a corner and spotted the open doorway that led to Hulk's room.

"Thor," (Y/n) crossed the threshold of the room, running to Thor worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Thor groaned.

"Thor hurt," Hulk grunted, "Hulk beat Thor."

"You didn't beat me, you oaf!"

"Hulk beat Thor!"

"(Y/n)," Thor waved (Y/n) over to the window, "Look, right there, a quinjet! We can get off of this planet and back to Asgard. Hulk, You're gonna love Asgard. It's big. It's golden. Shiny."

"Hulk stay."

"Hulk, you'll be a good asset in the fight against Hela, to prevent Ragnarok."

"Rag-na-ruh?"

"It's the prophesied death of Asgard, the end of days," (Y/n) explained, "If you help us get back to Asgard, then we can help you get back to Earth."

"Earth hate Hulk."

"Earth loves Hulk. They love you," Thor insisted, "You're of the Avengers. One of the team, one of our friends. This is what friends do. They support each other."

"Your Banner's friend," Hulk stated blandly.

"I'm not Banner's friend. I prefer you."

"Thor," (Y/n) said in a warning tone, "You might want to watch what you say."

"Thor and (Y/n) go. Hulk stay."

"Fine. Stay here. Stupid place. It's hideous, by the way. The red, the white," Thor pointed to the walls as he began to walk towards the exit, "Just pick a color."

"Oh no, wait, Thor. I don't think you should-" (Y/n) stopped talking as soon as Thor reached the doorway.

Thor began to twitch as he was jolted back by the obedience disk sensors in the doorway. Hulk began to laugh loudly while (Y/n) winced as she imagined what that must have felt like.

"Thor go again!" Hulk laughed, before calming down, "Thor and (Y/n) home."

Hulk walked over to his axe and grabbed it, "Hulk trains."

Hulk walked towards the end of the hall and met Valkyrie. The two chatted and playfully hit each other a few times until they walked. Thor and (Y/n) watched them closely until they turned the corner out of sight.

"Have you spoken with Heimdall?" Thor asked (Y/n), pouring himself a drink from Hulk's collection.

"I have, Hela is terrorizing the people, slaughtering them. Heimdall is sheltering those he can in the old temple but she's only getting worse, and stronger."

"Well then we'll arrive as soon as we can and save everybody," Thor said confidently.

"Thor," (Y/n)'s voice became quieter as she put a hand on his shoulder, "If Hela discovers the hiding place, then the only way to ensure the people of Asgard's safety is to bring them to the Bifrost."

"You're suggesting we evacuate Asgard?"

"Hela gets stronger every minute she's in Asgard, even I will struggle against her Thor. We may not have a choice."

Thor sighed, reaching up and fidgeting with his obedience disk, "Would you be able to take this off?"

"I mean I could try, but there's a chance whatever I do would affect your neck as well," (Y/n) stated, "I don't think you want that."

"Yes, I would like to keep my neck intact thank you."

"That's what I thought," (Y/n) smiled, turning to look at the window again.

Sakaar was a real planet, a bit dysfunctional and under a strange ruler, but it was a planet that run itself nonetheless. Loki's idea of raising a family here was almost tempting, so much so that she really had to consider the offer.

"Where's Loki?"

"Off somewhere, causing mischief or stealing things from the Grandmaster," (Y/n) said casually, sitting down on the step next to Thor, "Surprisingly, I trust him enough to let him roam free."

"Yes, there is no chance he'll be unfaithful," Thor seemed entirely sure that his brother would never leave (Y/n), that was what the ring of promise was for after all, "Though I don't think it's him who needs to be looked after."

"What do you mean?" (Y/n) asked, a nervous tone to her voice before she cleared her throat, "Are you suggesting I can't handle myself?"

"No of course not, I'm suggesting that you have the strange ability to cause more trouble than he can."

The two laughed at the statement, knowing of the predicaments they had gotten in together the past six years. Six years. For an Asgardian, that was supposed to feel like a Midgardian year, even less than that. And yet, with everything that had been going on...The years stretched out.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" (Y/n) asked, leaning back on her hands and looking over ot Thor.

"Well, no, not exactly," Thor grumbled, seemingly having to remind himself that he was mad at (Y/n).

"Oh come on Thor," (Y/n) kicked Thor's boot, "I understand that not telling you was wrong, but I hope that you understand that all I wanted was a moment of peace, a moment of happiness. You can't tell me you haven't longed for that."

Thor sighed, running a hand through his short hair. He slowly nodded, making (Y/n) jump with joy. That was the best forgiveness she was going to get but it was forgiveness nonetheless.

"Thor sad," Hulk's voice rumbled throughout the room as he reentered. Training must have been short today then.

"Shut up," Thor rolled his eyes.

"Thor sad!" Hulk punched Thor on the arm, causing him to fall over.

"I'm not sad you idiot! I'm pissed off! Angry. I lost my father. I lost my hammer," Thor ranted, he then turned and saw how disinterested Hulk was. In response to the disinterest, Thor kicked a random helmet on the floor near him, "You're not even listening."

"Don't kick stuff," Hulk scolded.

"You're being a really bad friend," Thor complained.

"You bad friend!"

"You know what they call you? We call you the stupid Avenger."

"Thor tiny Avenger!"

"Everyone on Earth does hate you!"

"Boys," (Y/n) said in a warning tone. Both Thor and Hulk stopped their arguing, glaring at each other instead.

Thor sighed, walking over to Hulk, "Earth doesn't really hate you, I just said that to hurt your feelings."

"I know. I'm sorry. I just get so angry all the time. Hulk always, always angry," Hulk explained.

"I know, we're the same, you and I."

"Yeah, same. Hulk like fire, Thor like water," Hulk nodded in agreement.

"We're kind of both like fire," Thor seemed offended that Hr.

"But Hulk like real fire. Hulk like raging fire. Thor like smoldering fire," Hulk looked over to (Y/n) who was watching the exchange with a raised brow, "(Y/n) like real fire too."

Thor glanced over to (Y/n), who gave him a threatening look if he continued to argue, so he just dealt with being a smoldering fire.

"Hulk, when will Valkyrie be back?" (Y/n) asked.

"Morning."

Thor seemed to catch on as to what (Y/n) was saying, "Hulk I need you to do something for me."

~*~

"Alright, I'm off to help Thor escape Sakaar," (Y/n) stated, "You coming or not?"

"I'll join you two later," Loki looked up from his book, "I have a few things I need to steal before I can leave."

"So you want to leave Sakaar now?" (Y/n) questioned, kissing Loki's cheek.

"Oh not at all, but I do want to stay with my beautiful wife," Loki grinned.

"Mmm, you always say the right things," (Y/n) beamed, "Well, I'll send for you when we're in the air and on our way off this planet."

"Good luck, darling," Loki called out after (Y/n) as she left their room, "I love you!"

"Love you too."

(Y/n) walked through the halls with a new pep in her step, knowing full well that there would be a struggle to get off of this planet, but she would be getting off of it one way or another, and Loki would be coming with her willingly.

"Angry girl!"

(Y/n) ran towards Hulk's room, entering to see Valkyrie glaring at Thor. If looks could kill, he would be six feet under.

"You're so thick-headed that you can't tell when someone's hiding all the way across the universe and wants to be left alone?" Valkyrie looked to the doorway and noticed (Y/n), "Neither of you can tell?"

"We need to talk," Thor stated.

"No, you want to talk to me."

Valkyrie turned to leave but (Y/n) raised her hand and a wall appeared in front of the doorway, stopping all of them from leaving.

"The wall comes down when you listen to us."

Valkyrie walked over to the bar and picked up a bottle of unopened liquor. She popped the cork open, holding it up.

"All right. Here's the deal. I'll listen to you till this is empty," she tipped back the bottle and began to chug the alcohol.

"Asgard is in danger and people are dying. We need to get back there. I need your help...Wow," Thor trailed off as Valkyrie finished off the bottle.

"Finished. Bye."

"Odin is dead!" (Y/n) burst out. Valkyrie stopped, the statement freezing her in place, "Hela has invaded Asgard, that's the situation."

"If Hela's back then Asgard is already lost," she mumbled, "You may be powerful but she draws her power from a realm."

"I draw my power from an Infinity Stone," (Y/n) snapped.

"Yeah, I'm going to stop her."

"Alone?"

"Well, no, I'm putting together a team. It's me, you, (Y/n), and the big guy," Thor said confidently.

"No team. Only Hulk."

Thor sighed, "It's me, and you, and (Y/n)."

"I think it's only you and (Y/n)," Valkyrie rolled her eyes.

"The Valkyrie were Asgard's noblest warriors. I understand that all the others died trying to contain Hela the first time, but is this how you want the Valkyrie's legacy to reign? Leaving their duties to become a drunk on some chaotic planet?"

"That's what's wrong with the throne. The secrets, the lies, everything," Valkyrie exclaimed.

"I agree. That's why I turned down the throne. But this isn't about the crown. This is about the people. They're dying and they're you're people, too."

"Just forget it, I have," Valkyrie shrugged.

(Y/n) walked past Valkyrie, making it seem as though she was moving towards Thor. In reality, she used a little magic to teleport the buzzer from Valkyrie's belt to her hand.

"We will Valkyrie. And, thank you," (Y/n) smirked.

"For what?"

"For this," (Y/n) held up the buzzer, she pressed the release button and allowed the buzzer to fall from Thor's neck, "You can stay here and get drunk, keep hiding, and allow the Valkyrie to remain legends if you wish, but Thor and I have to save our people."

Thor nodded and hurled the ball Hulk was tossing at the window. It bounced off, hitting him in the face. (Y/n) sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Because that's what heroes do," Thor finished (Y/n)'s earlier statement.

"The moments over Thor, let's just go."

The two jumped from the window and began to slide down the building.

"I tried to bring the moment back," Thor defended.

"You literally hit yourself in the face, there was no saving that."


	30. The Revengers

"Thor I sense the Hulk behind us," (Y/n) told Thor as they ran through the streets of Sakaar, "He's always angry but something seems off."

"It's the readiness for war dear sister, he will be joining our crusade!" Thor cheered.

"Yeah, I don't think that's why he's following us but think what you want."

The two entered the dump yard, passing rows upon rows of different ships, all in varying conditions. When they saw the familiar shape of the Quinjet they ran inside the open back.

Thor began to randomly press buttons and flip switches. (Y/n) pushed him out of the way, pressing a single button and turning the entire ship on.

"This is not going to be the Dark Elf situation all over again," she muttered as everything lit up.

 _"Voice verification required,"_ the ship's computer stated.

"Thor."

"(Y/n)."

_"Access denied."_

"Thor, son of Odin."

_"Access denied."_

"God of Thunder."

_"Access denied."_

(Y/n) thought over what Tony would put as their recognition. He was a handful so it wouldn't be anything normal.

"Strongest Avenger."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, almost smirking when Thor was denied access.

"Powerhouse," she spoke up. There was silence for a moment before the computer lit up.

There was a large creaking at the back of the Quinjet and it was ripped off. The Hulk barged in, scowling and snorting out a large breath.

Anything that stood in his way was pushed away harshly, most likely breaking in the process.

"Friends stay!" Hulk roared.

"Stop! Stop breaking everything!" Thor yelled back.

(Y/n) quickly smacked her hand down on a button on the council. That triggered a message to appear.

 _"Nice work, big guy. We don't know where Ultron's headed,_ _but you're_ _going very high, very fast."_

Hulk stopped short. The anger disappeared from his face. He watched Nat closely.

_"So, I need you to turn this bird around, okay? We can't track you in stealth mode. So I need you to help me out. Okay? I need you to-"_

The video cut out, disappearing. (Y/n) looked at Hulk hopefully, her hands raised to her waist as she was ready to use her powers if she had to.

"No! No, Banner!"

Hulk convulsed. He groaned and grabbed at his face, shaking his head to fight back. But he couldn't help it, and his body shrunk and turned back into a natural color until he was once again Bruce Banner.

"Banner," (Y/n) took a step towards Banner before noticing he was naked, "Oh, okay, I did not need to see that."

"Thor? (Y/n)?" Banner blinked rapidly, looking them over, "What happened to your hair?"

"Some creepy old man cut it off," Thor shrugged.

"It looks good," Banner assured, "(Y/n), you look great, practically glowing. Where are we? How's Nat?"

"Nat's fine, she dyed her hair," (Y/n) smiled.

"And what about Sokovia? Did we save it?"

(Y/n) and Thor shared a concerned look,"Banner listen. Sokovia, that was two years ago."

"What are you saying? I've been Hulk for two years?"

(Y/n) nodded, watching cautiously. Banner stared ahead of him, processing the information for a few seconds before he stood.

"Ship's log," Banner moved to the front.

A hologram appeared. It showed the Hulk thrashing around in zero gravity. It continued to record until the Hulk was thrown out of the ship entirely.

"Guys...where are we?"

Before Thor or (Y/n) could answer the Grandmaster's voice rang throughout the city.

"It's bad news, bad news today. Sakaar, hear ye. Attention, please. I have some bad news. My beloved, exalted Champion has turned up missing. Take to the streets. Celebrate my champion."

"Who's that?" Bruce questioned.

"The man that runs this place. Also...You may or may not be the champion," (Y/n) gave Bruce a sympathetic look, "Also, you and Thor had a fight recently."

"Did I win?" Bruce questioned.

"No, I won, easily," Thor shook his head.

"That doesn't sound right," Bruce argued.

"Well, it's true-"

"Both of you tied, let's leave it at that," (Y/n) clapped her hands, ending the argument

"It seems that that criminally seductive Lord of Thunder, and my favorite person, no offense everyone, have stolen him away."

"(Y/n), can you rebuild this ship?" Thor turned to (Y/n).

(Y/n) looked at the destruction around her, "Honestly...It would be easier to make a new ship, and even that would take time."

"Time? I thought you had the Reality Stone," Bruce's brows furrowed in confusion.

"I did but the stone I had to control my powers was taken, that's a long story. Anyways, I'm a bit limited with what I can do right now."

"Great. This is bad. This is really, really bad. Guys, I think I'm freaking out."

"No, no, no. Don't freak out. You're okay. Put these on," Thor handed Bruce some of Tony's spare clothes.

"These are Tony's clothes," Bruce began to put the clothes on, "Is he here?"

"No, none of the other Avengers are here, they're on Earth," (Y/n) sighed in frustration, "They'd be very useful right now."

"No kidding."

The three left the ship in shambles, running from the junkyard before anyone would be able to catch them. (Y/n) altered her appearance using her powers, slightly frightened she wouldn't be able to go back to the way she was.

They had begun to walk through the streets, keeping their heads low- even though Thor was the only recognizable one.

"The sun's going down. It's getting really low. The sun's going down. It's getting real low," Thor repeated in an attempt to soothe Banner.

"Would you stop saying that?" Banner snapped, sitting down on a nearby doorstep.

"We need you to stay calm Banner, the Hulk has been...A handful," (Y/n) explained.

"Calm? I'm on an alien planet!"

"It's just a planet. You've been on a planet before," Thor grinned.

"Yeah! One!"

"Now you've been on two. That's a good thing. It's a new experience."

"My neurons, they're firing faster than my brain can handle the information," Bruce groaned, "The whole thing is totally different this in. In the past, I always felt like Hulk and I each had a hand on the wheel, but this time it's like he had the keys and I was locked in the trunk. If I turn into the Hulk again then Bruce Banner may be gone forever, and we are on a planet that is _designed_ to stress me out!"

"We're going to find a way to get us home," (Y/n) encouraged, "Not Earth, Asgard."

"What?"

"Listen, our people are in great danger. You and I, and (Y/n), we have to  
fight this really powerful being who also happens to be my sister-"

"Okay, that is so wrong on so many- I don't wanna fight your sister. That's a family issue."

"Banner she is an evil being!"

"I don't care what she is. I'm not fighting anymore beings. I'm sick of it. I just told you two. If I turn into the Hulk, I am never gonna come back again. And you  
don't care."

"No, no. I'm putting together the team. The Hulk is the fire!"

"Wait, you're just using me to get to the Hulk," Bruce realized, "That's gross. You don't care about me. You're not my friend."

"Banner," (Y/n) crouched down in front of Bruce, "We care a great deal about you, and we also about the Hulk, because while you two are different, you are the same, one being."

Bruce thought over (Y/n)'s words before he spoke again, "Banner's powerful and useful too."

"Is he though?" Thor asked, making (Y/n) smack his arm.

"How many PhDs does Hulk have? Zero. How many PhDs does Banner have? Seven."

(Y/n) scrunched up her nose. She supposed PhDs were important somehow on Earth, but she didn't think they were going to be useful in the fight against Hela.

"Alright, you don't have to fight Bruce," (Y/n) assured, "But you two can't change your appearance at will so it's dangerous here."

Thor picked up a towel from the ground, wrapping it around his head in an attempt to hide his identity.

"What are you doing?" Bruce questioned.

"I need a disguise. I'm a fugitive," Thor explained.

"Well I need a disguise," Bruce found a pair of Tony's glasses in the jacket, "I'll be Tony Stark! Then we'll be Tony, the gypsy, and the relatively normal person."

"Bruce, you're just Bruce Banner, not Tony Stark," (Y/n) stated.

"Then why did you dress me up like Tony?"

"You were naked and that was not something I had to see."

"Okay, I'll give you that," Bruce shrugged.

As they stood up Bruce tugged on his pants in discomfort, "Tony wears his pants super tight!"

"Hey. It's okay. You're good. Calm down. Come on. Listen, we're gonna go to Asgard and you're not gonna have to think about the Hulk ever again. All right?"

Bruce nodded, seeming more assured.

The trio turned to continue down the street when all three of them were hit in the face with green paint. The three were swept into a festival celebrating the Hulk. (Y/n) used her hand to rub some of the paint off of her face, knowing there was a lot remaining. When (Y/n) turned around she didn't see Thor or Bruce. Panic shot through her and with how chaotic the planet was already, she couldn't feel them anywhere.

"(Y/n)," a hand reached out and grabbed her arm.

(Y/n) jumped, looking at Valkyrie with wide eyes. The woman had an annoyed look on her face, but her eyes were concerned.

"The Grandmaster wants you back unharmed, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just- my power is a bit off right now. How did you recognize me? I changed my appearance."

"You've still got the same glow about you as you did before, now come on, I saw Thor this way."

Valkyrie walked away, expecting (Y/n) to follow. The Asgardian did as expected, not having any other choice. They crossed the street and walked through an alley, finding Thor and Bruce in the middle of the crowd.

"Hi," Valkyrie approached Thor calmly.

"Hi," Thor sighed, knowing he was caught, "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here? I thought you two were leaving," Valkyrie squinted her eyes at the cloth around Thor's head, "Why are you wearing that?"

"It's my disguise," Thor explained.

"But I can see your face," Valkyrie stated.

Thor moved the towel to cover his face, "Not when I do this, you can't."

"Oh my Odin," (Y/n) pinched the bridge of her nose, " _This_ is the King of Asgard."

Valkyrie nodded in agreement with (Y/n)'s annoyance, grabbing Thor's arm so he would have to follow her, though he made no move to break away.

"Are you the smartest one here?" Valkyrie asked (Y/n).

"Most of the time I'm the _only_ smart one. Even under the current circumstances."

"Yes, I had assumed that was what was going on," Valkyrie nodded. She looked back at Banner, "Who is this guy?"

"He's a friend," Thor answered vaguely.

"I'm Bruce," Bruce introduced himself.

Valkyrie led the trio into a Saakarian apartment building, "I feel like I know you."

"I feel like I know you too!"

Thor and (Y/n) shared a knowing look, not knowing how to reveal to the two that they had been best friends for the past two years.

(Y/n) looked at the green hallways of the apartment building. It was cleaner than she would have imagined.

"Look, I've spent years in a haze trying to forget my past. Saakaar seemed like the best place to drink and forget and to die one day," Valkyrie explained.

"Yes, how much you drink will probably kill you," (Y/n) agreed.

"I don't plan to stop drinking, but I don't want to forget. I can't turn away anymore. So, if I'm going to die, well, it may as well be driving my sword through the heart of that murderous hag."

Valkyrie stopped at a door, "So, I'm saying that I want to be on the team. Does it have a name?"

"Yeah, it's called the..." Thor struggled to find a name, "Revengers."

"Revengers?'

"Because (Y/n) and I are getting revenge. You're getting revenge," Thor looked to Bruce, "Do you want revenge?"

"I'm undecided," Bruce shrugged.

Valkyrie nodded, accepting the name, "Also, I've got a peace offering."

Valkyrie swung open the door, revealing Loki. He was sitting in a chair, wrapped up in chains.

"Surprise."

Thor tossed a near plastic bottle at him, it simply bounced off of his head.

"Just had to be sure," Thor muttered.

"Hello, Bruce," Loki smirked.

"So, last time I saw you, you were trying to kill everybody. Where are you at these days?"

"It varies from moment to moment," Loki said sarcastically, "Darling, would you be so kind as to take me out of these chains?"

"I feel like you deserve to be there so I'll let you out in a moment," (Y/n) assured.

Valkyrie picked something up and unwrapped it. It was an old Asgardian sword.

"A Dragonfang? My God. That's the famed sword of the Valkyrie," Thor fangirled.

"Sakaar and Asgard are about as far apart as any two known systems. Our best bet is a wormhole just outside the city limits. Refuel on Xandar and be back in Asgard in around 18 months."

"Nope. We're going through that one," Thor pointed at the largest wormhole.

"The Devil's Anus?"

"I didn't know it was called that," (Y/n) cringed.

"That looks like a collapsing neutron star inside of an Einstein Rosen Bridge," Bruce marveled.

"We'll need another ship. That would tear mine to pieces. It needs to have cup holders because we're gonna die. So, drinks!" Valkyrie held her bottle in the air.

"I don't mean to impose, but the Grandmaster has a great many ships. I may have stolen the access codes to his security system," Loki spoke up.

Valkyrie threw her bottle at him, smashing it above his head.

"And suddenly you're overcome with the urge to do the right thing?"

"Heavens, no. But, I promised (Y/n) I'd leave with her so we could find a life somewhere. And in exchange for codes and access to a ship I'm asking for safe passage... through the anus."

"Okay, can I just," Bruce motioned for the other three to join him in a small circle, "A quick FYI, I was just talking to him just a couple of minutes ago and he was totally ready to kill any of us. Well, not (Y/n), but still."

"He did try to kill me," Valkyrie added.

"Yes, me too. On many, many occasions. There was one time when we were children, he transformed himself into a snake, and he knows that I love snakes. So, I went to pick up the snake to admire it and he transformed back into himself and he was like, 'It's me!' And he stabbed me. We were eight at the time."

"You were just fine," (Y/n) rolled her eyes, "You never could take a joke."

"If we're boosting a ship, we're gonna need to draw some guards away from the palace."

"Why not set the beast loose?" Loki questioned.

"Loki," (Y/n) tone held a non-verbal warning.

"We're not doing that. We're going to start a revolution."

"I feel so Midgardian right now," (Y/n) stated, "They love revolutions."

~*~

Valkyrie and Bruce were sent off to create a distraction together. That left Thor, Loki, and (Y/n) to get one of the Grandmaster's ships.

"Hey, so listen, we should talk," Thor said as Loki was putting in a security code to one of the doors.

"I disagree. Open communication was never our family's forte. (Y/n) and I's marriage is an exception.

The door opened and the trio turned towards the guards. Loki and Thor had guns raised, while (Y/n)'s hands were glowing gold.

Within a few seconds, all of the guards in the small room were out cold. Loki moved on and began to put in the next entrance code.

"Odin brought us together, it's almost poetic that his death should split us apart. We might as well be strangers now."

"Thought you didn't want to talk about it?" Thor threw a guard up as he tried to ambush Loki.

The trio entered an elevator before Loki answered, "Here's the thing. I'm probably better off finding somewhere to stay in isolation."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Thor agreed, "You and (Y/n) deserve to be married in peace, raise a family without the fear of being prosecuted. You can be as lawless as you'd like.

"Do you truly think so little of me?"

"Loki, I thought the world of you. I thought the three of us were gonna fight side by side forever. But, at the end of the day, you're you, I'm me, and (Y/n) is the only thing that kept us together."

Everything became silent in the elevator. (Y/n) glanced at the two before she spoke up.

"Since we're being sentimental I have something to say. I'm pregnant."

Thor's mouth fell open. Loki blinked rapidly and (Y/n) was worried he was going to pass out. When he stumbled forward and pulled (Y/n) into the most bone-crushing hug she had ever experienced she couldn't help but laugh.

"That's why I went down to Earth a year ago. I had to see Pepper Potts to make sure."

"That's wonderful," Thor grinned, "Do you know yet what it will be?"

"Yeah, actually. I think it's twins. Two girls."

"Twins? I thought they were a genetic trait."

"Don't you remember brother?" Thor put a hand on Loki's shoulder, "Laufey killed his twin brother for the throne."

"Dear Gods," Loki ran a hand over his face, "How far along are you?"

"A year."

Because Asgardians were more complicated, per se, compared to humans, their pregnancies lasted longer. The average being two years.

"Halfway through your pregnancy and you're still fighting?" Loki seemed frantic, "Darling you need to take it easy, you aren't even showing! Are you sure everything is okay?"

"I've been keeping the children in a pocket dimension. It's safer than you would imagine, they're just fine. They're returned to my body as soon as it's safe to continue developing."

Loki seemed to calm down at that. He pulled (Y/n) into another hug, his hand cupping the back of her head and keeping her to his chest. It was then that she noticed how fast his heart was beating.

"You'll be a great father," she whispered. His heart rate slowed down, and she knew she had done the right thing.

"Hey, let's do Get Help," Thor spoke up.

"No."

"Come on, you love it," (Y/n) grinned, pulling away from the hug.

"I hate it. It's embarrassing," Loki shook his head.

"Do you have a better plan?"

"No."

"Then we're doing it."

"We are _not_ doing Get Help."

(Y/n) and Thor shared a smirk, knowing full well that Get Help was the only plan they would be using.


	31. Ragnarok

"Get help! Please! My brother, he's dying!"

The group of three entered the garage with Loki hanging onto Thor and (Y/n)'s shoulders. After Thor was finished shouting, (Y/n) picked Loki up and threw him at the guards, knocking them down like bowling pins.

"That was a wonderful stress reducer," (Y/n) grinned, kissing Loki on the cheek as he jumped up.

"I still hate it. It's humiliating," Loki shook his head.

"Not for us it's not," Thor grinned, "Which one's the ship Valkyrie told us to get?"

"The Commodore," Loki pointed out a shiny, sleek ship.

(Y/n) felt something brush past her back. She turned and snet Loki a warning look as he approached the control pad.

"Though I feel it won't make much of a difference."

(Y/n) tapped Thor's shoulder. He turned, and sighed, "Oh Loki."

"I know I've betrayed you many times before, but this time it's truly nothing personal. I have a family to provide for, and the reward for your capture will be wonderful."

Loki pressed a button and triggered the alarm. (Y/n) smacked Loki's arm, hard.

"Don't put this on me!" She hissed.

"Darling I'm doing what's best for us," Loki defended.

"You deserve this," (Y/n) pressed a button on the trigger that had appeared in her hand. Loki fell to the floor, twitching under the electricity, "I'll be back for you later. I love you."

"Oh brother, you're becoming predictable. I trust you, you betray me. Round and round in circles we go," Thor sighed in mock disappointment, "See, Loki, life is about, it's about growth. It's about change. Sure, this time you're betraying me for your child, but it's betrayal all the same. You'll always be the God of Mischief. I'll just put this over here for you."

Thor took the trigger from (Y/n)'s hand, throwing it across the room. The two shared a look before they continued their walk towards the Commodore. When they entered, Thor let (Y/n) take the lead in flying since she had a better track record.

She pushed a few buttons before the garage door opened, setting off even more alarms. (Y/n) cringed, pushing forward the accelerator to fly them out.

"Loyal Sakaarians, Lord of Thunder has stolen my ship, my favorite champion, and my favorite person! Take to the skies, bring him down. Do not let him leave this planet."

"Shit," (Y/n) mumbled, increasing their speed even more in an attempt to get away from all of the ships rising into the sky.

Two shis flew up behind the Commodore and (Y/n) groaned. She desperately searched for weapons before the ships were shot out of the sky. (Y/n) looked at the screen to see who was behind her, grinning when she saw Val's ship.

"Open the doors," Valkyrie ordered through the radio.

(Y/n) heard a scream from behind her and realized that Val had thrown Bruce onto their ship. (Y/n) looked bac to make sure he was okay, and smiled when he gave a thumbs up.

"Shouldn't we be shooting back or something?" Bruce asked, joining the two in the front.

"I don't think there are any weapons on here," (Y/n) said in frustration.

"There aren't, it's a leisure vessel. For orgies and stuff."

"Gross," (Y/n) groaned.

A loud explosion rang out from behind them. All of them turned and screamed when they saw Val's ship explode.

Thunk!

Everyone screamed again, but this time because Val had landed on the windshield, holding onto the front so she wouldn't fly off. There was smoke coming off of her clothes.

"Get inside!" Thor yelled.

"In a minute!" Valkyrie shouted back.

On the top of the ship there were several thumping sounds. Obviously, they were Valkyrie running.

"I should probably go and help. Banner, you're copilot."

"Copilot," Bruce muttered, "I don't know how to fly one of these."

"Use one of your PhDs," Thor stated simply.

"None of them are for flying alien spaceships!" Bruce shouted, bt Thor was already gone.

"It's fine, I'll handle it," (Y/n) assured.

Thor jumped from the ship as well, leaving just Bruce and (Y/n). (Y/n) was so concentrated on flying that she missed Bruce looking over the panel.

"I think this is a gun. It has to be a gun," Bruce pressed a button with an explosion on it.

When he pressed it, fireworks began to shoot out of the back of the ship. Along with that, a disco ball lowered from the ceiling and the Grandmaster's voice rang through the ship.

"It's my birthday!"

"What is this?" (Y/n) shared a confused look with Banner. Bruce shrugged in confusion.

"Guys, we're coming up on the Devil's Anus!" Valkyrie warned as her and Thor jumped into the ship.

Valkyrie and Thor sat down in the two seats behind Bruce and (Y/n), strapping themselves in. (Y/n) accelerated the ship

even more, pushing them into the Devil's Anus. Everyone in the ship began screaming at the force pushed on them.

Within a few seconds, the ship became silent. Everyone had passed out.

~*~

When (Y/n) woke up, the other three were coming out of their daze as well. They had successfully made it off of Sakaar and were in space just outside of Asgard. It was beautiful. (Y/n) had never seen it from this view.

"I never thought I'd be back here," Valkyrie mumbled, voice thick with emotion.

"I thought it'd be nicer," Banner stated as they descended towards the Rainbow Bridge, "I mean, not that it's not nice. It's just, it's on fire."

Asgard was in ruins, a devastated ghost town. Dead soldiers lined the streets, buildings were in a horrid state. It made (Y/n) tear up. This was her home in shambles.

"Here, up here in the mountains," Valkyrie pointed at a map, "Heat signatures. People clustered together. Hela's coming for them."

"Okay, drop me off at the palace and I'll draw her away," Thor stated.

"Thor, you know I have faith in you, but what are you gonna do against her?" (Y/n) questioned nervously.

"I'll figure it out on the way don't worry," Thor waved his hand in dismissal.

(Y/n) flew in front of the palace. She stood from her seat as the doors opened so Thor could get out.

"I need to get something from the armory," she stated.

While Thor found one of Odin's spears, (Y/n) pried open a dusty crate. Inside, it was full of Valkyrie armor. She pulled t outset and blew the dust off of it.

"The ship needs a gun," Thor pointed towards a large machine gun, "Like that."

"Have fun with that," (Y/n) snorted, "I'm not going to carry that."

Thor looked at the gun hopelessly. (Y/n) left the armory, jumping back onto the ship. To her surprise, Thor was close behind her, lugging the gun in his arms.

Thor basically threw it onto the ship, itthrowing it off kilter for a few seconds before it stabilized.

"There, now the ship has a gun," Thor grinned, proud of himself.

"I'll take it from here," Val assured.

"Val," (Y/n) spoke up, "I found this in the armory."

"Thanks," Valkyrie whispered. Thor jumped out of the ship once again, "Your majesty. Don't die. You know what I mean."

Thor nodded at the two before they flew away, leaving him to face Hela alone.

"Maybe I should have stayed with him," (Y/n) said as soon as they left, "He would have a better chance if I fought with him-"

"You 're going to risk hurting your body. I know you can move your kid to wherever, but if you get killed, it's over. Besides, the people need you."

"You're right," (Y/n) felt a bit better about not helping Thor after that, "Drop me off at the end of the bridge, I'll meet the people there."

Valkyrie did as (Y/n) ordered, stopping the ship at the end of the bridge. In the distance, (Y/n) could faintly see a large portion of the Asgardian people making their way towards the Bifrost.

"Heimdall," (Y/n) gave Heimdall a quick hug, "Glad to see you're alive. Sorry about what Loki did."

"After all the times I've committed treason, this is the only time I've had to do something about it."

Boom. Boom. Boom.

(Y/n) and Heimdall turned. They were shocked to see Fenris, Hela's demon-dog at the end of the bridge, as though he had appeared out of nowhere. His growl made the Rainbow Bridge vibrate.

"Go back!" Heimdall yelled.

The people began to panic, rushing to run away. Fenris reared, then charged. (Y/n) drew her sword, ready to fight for her realm. She had faced worse creatures before.

Something flashed in her peripheral vision. (Y/n) looked up, smirking when the Commodore flew above Fenris.

Valkyrie began to shoot the gun at the wolf, stopping him in place. All of the Asgardians stopped. On their other side, was Skurge, leading Hela's undead army.

"Heimdall! The sword!" Skurge screamed.

Heimdall made no move to give up the Bifrost sword. Skurge held up his hand and the army charged. Valkyrie directed the gunfire towards the army, holding them at bay, but that left Fenris open so she quickly had to change back.

"Everyone move!" (Y/n) shouted, "We need to get to the Bifrost!"

Fenris ignored the bullets being shot at him and began to run at the refugees again. (Y/n) raised her sword, Heimdall doing the same. As the wolf came nearer, a loud thud rang throughout the air. A body had landed on the bridge.

"Bruce?" (Y/n) questioned, "Are you alright?"

Bruce groaned in reply. Fenris sniffed hid motionless body for a second, before he continued his charge. Just as he was in reach to bite Heimdall and (Y/n), something grabbed his tail and pulled him back. It was Hulk! (Y/n) sighed in relief. That's was one problem down.

Hulk and Fenris tumbled off of he bridge and into the water below, clearing the path. The people began to surge forward again, already having soldiers from the undead army.

In the fog ahead of her, (Y/n) could see something metallic landing on the edge of the bridge. She squinted her eyes, before laughing. It was a ship she had seen in the garage on Sakaar.

"Your savior has arrived!" Loki had his arms outstretched, his everlasting smirk plastered on his lips.

"Did you miss me?" Loki asked with a grin, "Everybody on that ship, now."

The refugees began pouring into the ark. The only entrance however, was the narrow platform, so it was mayhem.

"Gods I love you," (Y/n) kissed Loki deeply, "I love you so much."

"I love you too darling," Loki whispered.

"Welcome home," Heimdall greeted, "I saw you coming.

"Of course you did," Loki smirked.

The three turned to face the oncoming army. Their main objective was to protect the people, nothing else mattered more.

(Y/n) could feel her fingers twitching with the urge to use her magic. She held back, dealing with the difficulty of hand to hand combat.

"Why do you struggle to fight?" Heimdall took notice of her inner termoil, "Don't tell me it's the children you can so easily protect."

(Y/n) shook her head. Of course Heimdall knew of the children. (Y/n) turned away from her current enemy to face Heimdall.

"I've lost my necklace. Without it, I don't know how to stay in control."

"Your necklace never helped you stay in control!" Heimdall shouted, sighing soon after as if a weight was off of his chest.

"What are you talking about?" (Y/n) questioned, panting as she had a small break in her fight. Loki has stepped in front of her, giving her the chance to talk to Heimdall.

"All the necklace did was contain the pieces of aether that remained. Odin made you believe it limited your powers so you could be controlled. You have always been in control of yourself."

"Odin you ass!" I screamed at the sky, "I've lived in fear all this time for nothing!"

"Now you know how I've felt darling," Loki stated.

From above, on the palace balcony, a large bolt of lightning struck down and Hela could be seen falling from it. Loki smirked, (Y/n) grinned. It seemed that both her and Thor had learned of their true power.

"Let's do this," (Y/n) walked forward past Loki and towards the undead army.

They had split in half. Half of them were piling on top of each other to fight and approaching Thor, the other half was running towards her.

(Y/n) raised her hand. The bridge seemed to warp, sucking the soldiers and down into the water. She looked down, waving her hand. A large current overtook them and sent all of them over the edge of the realm. This was much easier than fighting with her sword.

Valkyrie made a rough landing on the bridge. Fireworks began to shoot out from the ship again. Along with that, a Mudgardian song was playing over the loudspeakers. It sounded like something Tony listened to. Led Zeppelin?

Slowly but surely, the army was losing its numbers, and the people were making it onto the ship. Thor walked over to the group, holding a hand out to help Loki up.

"You're late," he stated.

"You're missing an eye," Loki shot back.

Thor looked to (Y/n), "You're in control again?"

"Always have been," (Y/n) shrugged.

"This isn't over," Val called out.

At the end of the bridge, Hela was seething. A true vision of death. The women took a few slow steps, taking her time to make the group panic.

"I think we should disband the Revengers," Thor stated.

"Hit her with a lightning blast," Loki hissed.

"I just hit her with the biggest blast in the history of lightning. It did nothing. It won't end here. The longer Hela's on Asgard the more powerful she grows. She'll hunt us down. We need to stop her here and now."

"I'm not doing Get Help."

"Thor," (Y/n) put a hand on Thor's arm, "Asgard isn't a place. It's a people."

"This was never about stopping Ragnarok," Thor realized, "It was about causing it. Go to the vault. Surtur's crown. It's the only way."

"Bold move, brother. Even for me," Loki kissed (Y/n)'s cheek, "I'll be back."

"You better be."

Loki ran off, leaving Val, Thor, and (Y/n) to deal with Hela. The three shared a tired look before they all ran forward.

Weapons clashed together at the climax of Ragnarok. Hela continued to manifest pitch black weapons, but (Y/n) and Thor were generating their own powerful attacks at the same pace.

Hela raised her hand and (Y/n) raised hers as well. Their powers went head to head and (Y/n) prevented Hela from spearing the final Asgardians from afar.

"Go!" (Y/n) screamed as Heimdall got on.

Hela harpooned Thor, knocked Valkyrie back, and sliced (Y/n)'s stomach - a bitch move if (Y/n) had anything to say about it. Hela summoned a giant spike of bedrock that prevented the Ark from leaving. Hela's soldiers scrambled up onto the Ark.

Suddenly, the soldiers began to fall dead. They were being shot by Midgardians weapons! (Y/n) watched in shock as Skurge jumped down from the ship, breaking the bedrock and gunning the soldiers.

Hela gave a sigh of disappointment before she killed Skurge too. But it was too late. The Ark was away from the bridge and flying to safety.

"Hela! Enough!" Thor stood up, recovered slightly.

(Y/n) winced, placing her hand over her stomach. The skin began to stitch itself together before all that remained of the injury was a small scar.

"You want Asgard? It's yours."

"Whatever game you're playing, it won't work. You can't defeat me."

"We can't," (Y/n) pointed at the palace, "But he can."

Surtur exploded through the roof of the palace. He was steadily growing in size and wielded a massive sword covered in fire.

"No! No!" Hela screamed.

(Y/n) took advantage of Hela's shock and drove her sword through her chest, backing up as the bridge collapsed beneath her.

"Tremble before me Asgard, for I am your reckoning!"

"The people are safe. That's all that matters," Val stated, but the sadness in her voice was evident.

"Farewell Asgard," (Y/n) mumbled.

Hulk popped up onto the bridge. He looked around, noticing Surtur. Hulk roared, jumping up and landing on Surtur's nose. The being simply swatted him off and back onto the bridge.

"Hulk stop! Stop it you moron!" Thor shouted.

"But big monster!"

"Let's go," Val's tone said it was final.

Hulk picked up the three and jumped from the bridge, landing gently in the ship.

Everyone watched in silence as Surtur drive his sword through the heart of Asgard. Korg spoke up, "The damage is not too bad. As long as the foundations are strong, we can rebuild this place. It will become a haven for all people and aliens of the universe-"

The sword touched the base of Asgard, and it exploded in a violent detonation of energy.

"Nope, those foundations are gone. Sorry."

"The greatest realm to ever exist is gone," (Y/n) whispered.

"But it's people aren't," Val motioned to the refugees.

"Come on Thor," (Y/n) grabbed Thor's hand, leading him away from the sight.

She had been on the Ark once before and knew where to go, Thor needed a drink.

She picked up one of the glasses and watched as it morphed into an eyepatch. She held it out to Thor, who took it silently. He then turned to the desk where the alcohol was and poured himself a glass.

"I feel like we can finally relax," (Y/n)'s armor melted away, and instead she was in a dress. Upon closer look, a bump had formed over her stomach. She no longer had to hide her pregnancy, or keep her children in a pocket dimension.

"It suits you."

(Y/n) and Thor turned to look at Loki standing by the door.

"Perhaps you're not so bad after all, brother," Thor smiled, "And if you were here, I might even give you a hug."

Thor threw a glass bottle cork at Loki. To his surprise, it didn't go through him. Instead, the man caught it.

(Y/n) ran to Loki and threw her arms around him, her eyes full of tears. And while (Y/n) couldn't see it, Thor could. Loki's eyes were full of tears as well.

~*~

"Your throne."

Thor looked down at the captain's chair. He had just walked past the people in a sort of improvised coronation. The man reluctantly sat down.

"So, My King," (Y/n) gave a teasing smile, "Where to?"

"I'm not sure. Any suggestions? Miek, what's your home planet?"

"Oh, Miek's dead. I accidentally stepped on him on the bridge, I've just felt so guilty I've been carrying him around all day," Miek wiggled to life, cutting Korh off, "Miek, you're alive! He's alive everyone! What was your question?"

"Earth it is!" Thor decided.

~*~

It had been a few hours of traveling. Valkyrie and Hulk went off to find somewhere they could train, Korg and Miek were talking to their rebellion friends, and Thor was resting his eyes in his seat.

"It's strange seeing you show," Loki placed a hand over (Y/n)'s bump, "Especially since it seemingly appeared out of nowhere."

"Well I don't have to hide it anymore, do I?" I questioned with a smile. I tugged on his hair gently, "I'm going to cut your hair when we get to Midgard. I like it short."

Loki chuckled, shaking his head at his wife's statement.

"Lady (Y/n)," a small girl tugged on the woman's skirts, "Can you tell us a story? About all your adventures?"

(Y/n) looked up at the Asgardians. They were all looking at her expectantly, even the adults.

"Alright," (Y/n) sat down, motioning for everyone else to do the same, "My- our adventures started six years ago, at what was supposed to be Thor's coronation..."

~*~

(Y/n) has spent a good chunk of time telling everyone about the adventures her and the Avengers had been on the par few years. Many of the Asgardians were asleep, giving Thor, Loki, and her the chance to go off to a separate room and discuss their plans for the future.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?" Loki questioned.

"Sure! They love us there," Thor said simply.

"Let me rephrase. Do you really think it's a good idea to bring me back to Earth?"

"Probably not. But don't worry, brother, I've got a feeling that everything's going to work out."

Suddenly, (Y/n) grabbed Loki's hand, her eyes wide and full of fear. Her voice was a whisper, but her words were enough to send both Loki and Thor into action.

"He's here."


	32. Nothing Left

"Everyone get off of this ship, now!" (Y/n) screamed, running into the masses. In any other situation, she would have been seen as crazy, but there was no way to avoid panic, many citizens had already noticed Thanos' ship through the large viewing window.

"No running or pushing, get to the escape pods," (Y/n) motioned towards the side of the ship where the escape pods were, "Get _as many_ people in as possible. We will save as many Asgardians as we can."

The citizens rushed to the escape pods, less panicked than she would have imagined. (Y/n) guessed that at that point they were just used to life-threatening situations such as that happening.

Quickly they filled up with numerous people. (Y/n) input coordinates to a planet called Orveon. They were peaceful and would be willing to help the refugees while she figured out where they could go from there. Or whether or not they _would_ be able to go anywhere.

"Valkyrie!" (Y/n) grabbed the Asgardian's arm, pulling her towards the pods, "You and Korg must go with them."

"I'm not going to abandon my people, not again," Valkyrie shook her head, pulling her arm away.

"You aren't, they'll need leadership, guidance. Val, you're their best chance to stay sane. Please, you need to go."

"You brought me back to Asgard, thank you," Valkyrie gave (Y/n) a nod, the largest sign of affection she seemed able to give, and walked into one of the escape pods.

(Y/n) slammed her hand down on the release button, sending it, and all of the other cued up pods into space. She turned to usher the rest of the Asgardians into the rest of the pods, but suddenly, the ship shook violently. All of the systems shut down, including the pods.

"Thor," (Y/n) spotted the large man across the ship. She quickly ran over to him, becoming worried when she didn't see Loki anywhere, "How many escaped?"

"Half," Thor sighed in frustration, "That's not enough."

"Everyone prepare for battle!" Loki ran into the room, "They're boarding!" Loki gave a nervous glance to (Y/n), "It's Thanos."

(Y/n)'s armor appeared over her body. She drew her sword, holding it tightly in her grip. Loki's nerves made her even more nervous, which spelled out a bad recipe.

"There is no way to get the systems back on, those who can fight are ready," Heimdall approached the small family, "The majority of those who can't were on those pods. Including all of the children."

"Oh thank the gods," (Y/n) sighed in relief. She wouldn't have been able to bear it if any children had died in this battle. She then looked to Thor, "Thor there's something you need to know. On Sakaar, I got this awful feeling one morning. I thought it was something relating to the pregnancy but...I think a planet was destroyed."

"The Power Stone was being kept on Xandar," Thor remembered, "You don't think-"

The ship shook again as it was boarded.

The next few minutes was a blur of screams and blood. The Black Order came on before Thanos did. They slaughtered drives of Asgardians before the group even had time to react.

When they did they fought with everything they had. (Y/n) knew she had to play it safer than normal, her children may have been in a pocket dimension, but if there were any unfixable injuries to her body then that jeopardized their development.

"A fair fighter," the female of the group acknowledged as she parried back and forth with (Y/n), "But not good enough to save your people."

(Y/n) let out a frustrated scream, dropping her sword and waving her hand. The woman was thrown into the ceiling of the ship. (Y/n) wasn't finished. She threw the woman into every wall in the area until (Y/n) herself was knocked over by another Black Order member protecting their comrade.

"You had your chance," Thanos took this chance to enter the ship. He was obviously referring to his offer of an alliance. But he must have known (Y/n) would have never accepted. The power stone glowed brightly on the gauntlet. Half of the Aether Stone - since (Y/n) had absorbed the reality stone it couldn't really be called that anymore- was on the gauntlet. The other half was on Knowhere, "You could have been part of a higher cause."

"My higher cause is stopping you."

Both Thor and (Y/n) ran towards the Titan. He easily knocked Thor back and unconscious with a single blow from the Power Stone. The Asgardian was weak from fighting already.

"I know my strength," (Y/n)'s hands glowed gold.

Thanos grinned menacingly. The two fought a battle of magic. Every shot (Y/n) could throw out was blocked by something from the Power Stone. The inside of the ship was sustaining incredible damage, but there were no Asgardians to inhabit it anymore so it didn't matter.

"You're weak," Thanos used to Aether Stone to up his advantage against (Y/n), "You don't understand what good your power could do. You'll have to learn."

(Y/n) cried out as her body was forced to its knees. She didn't understand. She had just learned of her full potential. She was fighting with her all, with all of her anger and sadness. Not only that but the stone she had should have been connecting with the other stones, they should have been protecting her. Was it her lack of practice, or her hesitance to be killed that allowed her to be detained?

"Hear me, and rejoice," one of the Black Order members walked among the bodies of the dead Asgardians. It made (Y/n) nauseous. She closed her eyes, looking away, "You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan. You may think this is suffering. No...It is salvation. Universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile...For even in death, you have become Children of Thanos."

(Y/n) growled, giving an attempt to get out of the Stone's hold. To no avail. Thanos, the Power Stone still glowing, walked over to Thor's body.

"I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right yet to fail, nonetheless. It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. I ask you, to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now, it's here. Or should I say...I am."

Thanos picked Thor up by the head, holding him up as if he weighed nothing.

"You talk too much," Thor spit some blood from his mouth.

"The Tesseract, or your brother's head. Perhaps your wife's stomach next. I assume you have a preference."

"Oh I do," Loki glanced at the two. He was dirty and cut up, but relatively unharmed, "Kill away."

(Y/n) winced when the Power Stone was touched to Thor's head. She felt the pressure on her increase as well. As Thor's screams increased, the pain on Loki's and (Y/n)'s faces became more and more evident.

"Alright stop!" Loki screamed, ending his bluff.

"We don't have the Tesseract. It was destroyed on Asgard," Thor gasped out.

Loki sighed. He lifted his right hand into the air and the Tesseract revealed itself.

"Gods Loki," (Y/n) groaned, "This is the worst possible moment to have that."

"I assure you," Loki looked at the two confidently, "The sun will shine on us again."

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian."

"Well for one thing," Loki pulled the Tesseract away from Thanos' outstretched hand, "I'm not Asgardian. And for another, we have a Hulk."

Loki dived out of the way as Hulk emerged to fight Thanos. Because his attention was taken away, (Y/n) and Thor were freed from his hold.

"Thor, Thor," (Y/n) ran over to Thor, bending down next to him, "Are you alright?"

Thor nodded, wincing as he stood up shakily. The fight was not going the Hulk's way. Thor picked up a piece of scrap metal and - against (Y/n)'s recommendation- slammed it against his back.

Thor was pushed back by one of the Black Order members, trapped in a few layers of metal. (Y/n) took a step forward to run into action, but she too was put back under control.

"Allfathers, let the dark magic flow through me one last time," Heimdall grit out, summoning the Bifrost from sheer will. It consumed Hulk, carrying him away to presumably Midgard.

"That was a mistake." Thanos took a spear from one of his followers. Without hesitation, he stabbed it through Heimdall's heart.

"No!" Thor and (Y/n) screamed in despair.

"You're going to die for that," Thor cried.

A piece of metal covered his mouth. The same member that trapped him made a shushing motion. He then picked up the Tesseract and took a knee in front of Thanos.

"My humble personage bows before your grandeur. No other being has ever had the might, nay the nobility, to wield two Infinity Stones. The universe lies within your grasp."

Thanos plucked the Tesseract from his hands. He easily crushed the barrier, revealing the Space Stone. He brushed the glass-like shards away and placed it in his gauntlet.

"There are two more Stones on Earth. Find them, my children, and bring them to me on Titan."

"Father we will not fail you," the woman assured.

"If I might, interject," Loki walked out of a separate hall, "If you're going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena."

"If you consider failure experience," Thanos smirked.

"I consider experience experience," Loki corrected, "Almighty Thanos. I, Loki, Prince of Asgard... Odinson," Loki sent a look towards his family. (Y/n) felt tears spring to her eyes. But these weren't the mourning kind she had been holding back, these were the proud kind, "The rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, do hereby pledge to you, my undying fidelity."

Loki swung his hand upwards in an attempt to stab Thanos. A purple glow surrounded his hand, easily being stopped.

"Undying, huh? You should choose your words more carefully."

Thanos wrapped a large hand around Loki's neck. (Y/n) strained and fought against Thanos' hold on her, wanting nothing more than to kick the crap out of him and protect what she had left.

Thanos tightened his hold even more. (Y/n) knew Loki wouldn't go in blind, perhaps he had a healing stone with him, or planned an illusion or to teleport, whatever the case, she didn't think he counted on Thanos trying to kill him.

"You will never be...A god."

"Allfathers," (Y/n) shifted her hand to face Loki, "I know I am not a gatekeeper but please allow me the ability of dark magic. Let me protect the throne."

There was a small pulsing in (Y/n)'s fingertips. A bright blue light engulfed Loki's struggling body. The Bifrost. Before Thanos could snap his neck he was gone. Off to the realm farthest away from the ongoing conflict. (Y/n) knew he wouldn't be able to leave easily, and he would be safe there.

Thanos looked over to (Y/n), a small smile on his face even though she just ruined his chance to kill Loki.

"A challenge even when you're defenseless," the Titan let out a deep chuckle.

Without another word he created a portal and left the ship. Purple blasts activated at every corner as it was slowly destroyed by the Power Stone.

(Y/n) fell to the ground, finally free. Thor did the same. The two gravitated towards each other, not having anything left to hold onto. (Y/n) raised her hand and formed a shield around them.

"Is it worth it?" Thor questioned, motioning to the shield.

"Half of Asgard escaped, Loki is alive, and I have children to raise. Everything we're about to go through is going to be worth it."


	33. Old Allies

"Loki. Loki," a small, stretched out whisper came from (Y/n)'s lips. (Y/n) reached out for the raven-haired male in front of her. He was in a field, in front of an altar.

"Alfheim," Loki mumbled, "You sent me to Alfheim."

"We have beautiful memories here," (Y/n) looked at the altar. It slowly flickered away, "I wanted to send you somewhere peaceful."

"You should be here too," Loki reached out for (Y/n)'s hands, frowning when her form flickered, "But you aren't."

"I have work to do. I need to save the universe."

"You have no obligations to the universe anymore. You've done enough. Darling, come back to me."

"Is this what we're destined for? Always far away from each other in our most desperate times?" (Y/n) questioned, looking up at the sky, "I trust the Fates, but I want everything to be okay. I don't want to keep having to lose you. I have to raise our children in peace."

"We will darling," Loki smiled slightly, "As soon as you come to me. Safe. I love you."

"I love you too, more than anything."

~*~

"Awaken."

(Y/n) snapped up with a loud gasp. Nearly falling off of the table she was lying on, she stumbled forwards. Thor's strong arms caught her, bringing her attention to the people in front of them.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Thor asked.

It was a strange group for sure, coming from a member of the Avengers. A human, a Groot, a Racoon, woman similar to a bug, a blue man, and-

"Gamora?"

~*~

The Guardians had given both Thor and (Y/n) a bowl of soup and a blanket. Once they were both settled the conversation picked up again.

"You know her?" The human turned to Gamora. She nodded silently, "Great, okay. So you two have an in, I guess. What the hell happened to your ship?"

"Thanos," Thor and (Y/n) answered in unison, "He came in and... only half of our people survived. He stole the Space Stone."

Gamora sighed, walking to the window. She stared out at the destruction, "The entire time I knew Thanos, he only ever had one goal: To bring balance to the Universe by wiping out half of all life. He used to kill people planet by planet, massacre by massacre."

"Including my own," the blue man spoke up.

"If he gets all six Infinity Stones, he can do it with the snap of his fingers, like this," Gamora snapped her fingers to demonstrate.

"You seem to know a great deal about Thanos," Thor rose a brow.

"Gamora... is the daughter of Thanos."

"Your father nearly killed my brother," Thor took a menacing step towards the woman.

"Oh boy. Stepfather. Technically. She hates him as much as you do," Quill stepped in between the two, "Hey uh, lady. How do you know Gamora?"

Gamora and (Y/n) met eyes. (Y/n) wasn't sure if it was the instability of her powers or the situation. But her mind pulled her back to the last time she saw her.

_"Do you have the map?"_

_"Possibly," (Y/n) stared at the woman in front of her suspiciously, "Do you have what I asked for?"_

_"He's alive," Gamora held out the pads to show me the different pictures, "I don't know what Thanos is doing to him but it's not good. Are you sure you want an in?"_

_"I love him. I've spent the last year mourning only to find out he's alive. I'm going to join him, bring him out safely."_

_"Why give me this map? You know what Thanos can do if he gets all six," Gamora looked at the ancient piece of parchment (Y/n) gave her._

_"This is your chance Gamora," (Y/n) put one of her hands over the woman's, "Destroy it. And get out. Go live a life free of Thanos, and make sure that he never finds the Soul Stone. It's a win-win, isn't it?"_

_"I'll burn it to ash," Gamora nodded, "Everything you need to know is on those tablets. The Chitauri are planning something big for Terra, so join them soon."_

_"I understand. Good luck Gamora. We'll meet again."_

_"I'm sure we will."_

"We met while traveling once." (Y/n) shrugged, lying through her teeth. Thor placed a hand on Gamora's shoulder.

"Families can be tough. Look. Before my father died, he told me I had a half-sister that he imprisoned in Hel. Then she returned home and stabbed me in the eye, so I had to kill her. It's life, isn't it, I guess. Goes round and round and I feel your pain."

Quill, seeming quite jealous, spoke up, "And I feel your pain, as well. I mean it's not a competition, but I've been through a lot. My father killed my mother, then I had to kill my father. And that was hard. Probably even harder than having to kill a sister. Plus, I, came out of it with both of my eyes-"

"I need a hammer, not a spoon," Thor shook the spoon, moving towards the pod, "How do I open this thing? Is there some sort of a four-digit code maybe? Maybe a birth date or something."

"Here," (Y/n) pushed Thor out of the way, she placed her hand on the screen, and it beeped, opening up the pod.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking your pod," Thor stated simply.

"No, you're not!" Quill deepened his voice to match Thor's. (Y/n) snorted, hiding her grin behind her hand, "You'll not, be taking our pod today, sir."

"Are you making your voice deeper?" Rocket questioned, smirking.

"No."

"You are. You're imitating the god-man. It's weird," Drax added in.

"No, I'm not."

"He just did it again!" Mantis gasped.

"This is my voice!"

"Are you mocking me?" Thor walked towards Quill.

"Are you mocking me? He's trying to copy me."

"Would you stop doing that?" Thor looked over to (Y/n), "He's copying me!"

"Literal children," (Y/n) pinched the bridge of her nose, "Worse than children. My children will not be like this. They will be well-behaved. I swear to Valhalla that they must be well-behaved."

"Enough!" Gamora snapped, stopping the two men's bickering, "We need to stop Thanos. Which means we need to find out where he's going next."

"Knowhere," (Y/n) stated, her hand going to where her necklace used to rest.

"He must be going somewhere."

"No. Knowhere? It's a place. It sucks. Why is he going to Knowhere?"

"For years half of the Aether Stone has been stored there. With a man called the Collector."

"The Aether Stone?"

"Only an idiot would give that man a stone."

"The Reality Stone is rightfully mine and is a part of my being. That being said, however, there were parts that I couldn't risk taking in. It was stored in the Aether Stone. I kept half- which Thanos took- and the other was given to the Collector. He's more trustworthy than you believe."

"How do you know he's not going for one of the other Stones?"

"There are six stones out there," Thor began, "Thanos already has the Power Stone because he stole it last week when he decimated Xandar. He stole the Space Stone from us when he destroyed our ship and slaughtered half of our people. The Time and Mind Stones are safe on Earth. They're with the Avengers."

"Avengers?"

"Earth's mightiest heroes," (Y/n) shrugged.

"Like Kevin Bacon?"

"He may be on the team," Thor and (Y/n) shared a confused look, "Last time I was there he wasn't, but who knows."

"Yes, and as for the Soul Stone, well, no one's ever seen that. No one even knows where it is. Therefore, Thanos can't get it. Therefore, he's going to Knowhere. Hence, he'll be getting the Aether Stone. You're welcome," Thor said sarcastically.   
(Y/n) glanced over to Gamora. They were perhaps the only two beings alive that knew where the Soul Stone was located.

"Then we have to go to Knowhere now," Gamora spoke up.

"Wrong. Where we have to go, is Nidavellir."

"That's a made-up word," Drax claimed.

"Nidavellir is real?" Rocket climbed onto the table, "Seriously? I mean, that place is a legend. They make the most powerful, horrific weapons to ever torment the Universe. I would very much like to go there, please."

"The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you," (Y/n) facepalmed as Thor called the raccoon a rabbit, "Only Eitri the dwarf king can make me the weapon I need. I assume you're the captain, sir?"

"You're very perceptive," Rocket nodded in confirmation.

"You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest to Nidavellir?"

"Lemme just ask the captain. Wait a second, it's me! Yeah, I'll go," Rocket agreed happily.

"Hang on, wait," Quill spoke up when Thor and (Y/n) began to enter the pod, "Look, this is my ship. And I'm not going to- Wait, what kind of weapon are we talking about here?"

"The Thanos killing kind," (Y/n)'s sword appeared on her hip, "Though Thor is the only one that needs one."

"Don't you think that we should all have a weapon like that?"

"Oh no, that would be awful," (Y/n) laughed, "You lack the strength to wield them. Your bodies would crumble as your minds slipped into insanity."

"Is it weird that I wanna do it even more now?" Rocket asked.

"A little bit. Yeah," Thor seemed concerned.

"If we don't go to Knowhere and Thanos retrieves another stone, he'll be too powerful to stop," Gamora argued.

"He already is," (Y/n) shook her head, "He surpasses even my power."

"I got it figured out," Rocket waved his hands in a 'calm down' motion, "We got two ships, and a large assortment of morons. So me and Groot will go with the pirate-angel here, and the morons will go to Knowhere to try and stop Thanos. Cool? Cool."

Thor and (Y/n) stepped into the pod, taking two of the back seats. He held out one of the food packets to me. (Y/n) shook her head, even if she had to eat more for the twins, hunger was the last thing on her wind.

"We bid you farewell and good luck, morons," Thor waved as the pod took off.

~*~

"I am Groot."

"Tinkle in the cup. We're not looking. What's there to see? What's a twig? Everybody's seen a twig."

"I am Groot."

"Tree, pour what's in the cup out in space, and go in the cup again," Thor ordered, staring out the window.

(Y/n) had finally taken up the offer on food, munching on a few of the snacks Thor had shoved into Quill's backpack.

"You speak Groot?" Eyes wide, Rocket stared at (Y/n) and Thor in shock.

"Yes, they taught it on Asgard. It was an elective."

"Yes, I took Alfheim's language instead," (Y/n) commented, "Bit ironic since I went there for my honeymoon."

"I am Groot."

"You'll know when we're there. Nivadellir's forge harnesses the power of a blazing neutron star. It's the birthplace of my hammer. It's truly awesome."

"I miss Mjolnir," (Y/n) whispered, "I miss Asgard. I miss the Warriors Three and Sif. I'm not even sure where Sif is, and we don't have bodies to send off for the Warriors Three."

"So, missing brother, huh?" Rocket approached the pair, making it seem causal by messing with a few settings on a screen, "Yeah, that can be annoying."

"Well, he's been gone before, but this time he can't come back," Thor looked to (Y/n), "(Y/n) would kill him if he did."

"And you said your sister and dad..."

"Both dead. As are (Y/n)'s parents."

"Still got a mom, though?"

"Killed by a dark elf," (Y/n) shook her head.

"Best friend?"

"Right here," (Y/n) nudged Thor, "The others are either dead or missing. Or fugitives on Earth."

"Are you sure you two are up to this particular murder mission?"

"Absolutely," the two wiped away their tears, "Rage, vengeance, anger, loss, regret...They're all tremendous motivators. They really clear the mind. So we're good to go."

"Yeah, but this Thanos we're talking about, he's the toughest there is."

"Well, he's never fought us," Thor encouraged.

"Yeah, he has."

"He's never fought us twice. And I'm getting a new hammer. Don't forget."

"Better be some hammer," Rocket grumbled.

"You know," (Y/n) began to speak, "We're 1,500 years old. We've killed twice as many enemies as that, and everyone would have rather killed us, but none succeeded. We're only alive because fate wants us alive. Thanos is the latest in a long line of bastards and he will be the latest to feel our vengeance."

"What if you're wrong?"

"If we're wrong...What more can we lose?"

Thor and (Y/n) took their original seats in the pod. Thor behind Rocket, and (Y/n) behind Groot.

"Okay. If fate does want you to kill that crapsack...You're gonna need more than one stupid eyeball," Rocket held out an eye to Thor, "Some jerk lost a bet with me on Contraxia."

"He gave you his eye?" (Y/n) asked in disgust.

"He gave me 100 credits. I snuck in later that night and stole his eye," Rocket explained, completely casual about the fact.

"Thank you, sweet rabbit."

Thor removed his eyepatch, shoving the new eye into his socket. (Y/n) grimaced, looking away until he was finished.

"Oh. I would've washed that. The only way I could sneak it off Contraxia was up my- Hey, we're here!"

Thor smacked the palm against the side of his head a few times, "I don't think this thing works. Everything seems dark."

"It isn't the eye," (Y/n) stepped forward, "Nidavellir is dark. The rings are frozen."


	34. The Snap

"I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning," Rocket stared at the mess surrounding the group of four, "Maybe they realized they live in a junk pile in the middle of space."

"This forge hasn't gone dark in centuries," Thor muttered, peering around for any clues as to what happened.

"Something isn't right," (Y/n) whispered, her hand landing on a piece of equipment. Her eyes glided over a dusty object, "Oh Gods. Thor!"

Thor stared up at the Infinity Gauntlet in horror, the realization of the dire situation dawning on him.

"Go back to the pod-" a large figure stormed towards the group, kicking Thor back.

(Y/n) raised her hands, creating a shield when the figure tried to smash her with their giant fist.

"Eitri, wait! Stop! Stop," Thor cried out, jumping back up.

"Thor? (Y/n)?"

"What happened here?" Thor questioned, looking around at the silent chaos.

"You were supposed to protect us. Asgard was supposed to protect us!" Eitri stumbled back, "300 dwarves lived on this ring. I thought if I did what he asked...They'd be safe. A device capable of harnessing the power of the stones. Then he killed everyone anyway. All except me. 'Your life is yours.' he said 'But your hands are mine alone.'"

"Eitri, this isn't about your hands," (Y/n) assured, "Everything you've ever designed. Every weapon, every device. That came from your mind. Thor and I know that it feels as though all hope has been lost. Asgard has been destroyed. But together, all of us, we can kill Thanos."

"To restart the forge the rings need to be moved."

"Leave that to us. Rabbit, fire up the pod. (Y/n), we need a rope."

"There are easier ways to do this," (Y/n) grabbed a random piece of scrap metal, watching it morph into a long, sturdy rope.

"Maybe, but all of them put you in danger. You need to stay safe."

"I'm not some fragile girl Thor," (Y/n) snapped, "I can fight as well, if not better, than you!"

"I can't lose you too," Thor grabbed (Y/n)'s shoulders, "I can't...I can't lose you (Y/n)."

"Okay, okay," (Y/n) waved her hands reassuringly, "I'll stay in here, yeah?"

Thor smiled slightly, running out of the rig and into space. (Y/n) watched closely as he tied the rope to the bottom of the pod, allowing Rocket to fly him out to one of the rings.

"I don't think you get the scientifics here. These rings are gigantic. You wanna get them moving, you're gonna need something a lot bigger to yank 'em loose," Rocket's voice flowed through (Y/n)'s ears.

"Leave that to me."

"Leave that to you? Buddy, you're in space. All you got is a rope and a-"

Thor began to swing the pod in tight circles. After a few rounds, he stopped, allowing the pod to drag him forward. He gripped the edge of one of the rings.   
Surprisingly, the large structure actually began to move slightly.

"More power, rabbit!"

After another few seconds, the star burst to life, and the rings aligned. Full of shock and astonishment, (Y/n) gaped at the sigh in front of her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been to Nidavellir. It must have been at least 600 years.

The beauty was gone as fast as it had appeared. The eye shut again. Eitri huffed in frustration, "Damn it."

"Damn it? What's damn it?"

"The mechanism is crippled. With the iris closed, I can't heat the metal."

"How long will it take to heat?" Thor asked.

"A few minutes, maybe more. Why?"

"I'm gonna hold it open."

"Thor, don't be stupid," (Y/n) scoffed.

"I have to do it, sister," Thor insisted, "Facing Thanos without that ax is suicide."

"Fine," (Y/n) jumped from the rig and into the broken mechanism next to Thor, "We'll do it together then. I'll be able to divert most of the star's power away from us. You know, so we don't die before we save the universe."

"Allfather's give us strength," Thor prayed.

"You two are about to take on the full force of a star. It'll kill you."

"Only if we die."

"Yes...That's what killing you means."

"We'll be fine Eitri, I've still got some tricks up my sleeve. Ready Thor? Three, two, one."

Together, Thor and (Y/n) each pulled down a level on the mechanism. The force of the star was a lot more than (Y/n) imagined it would be, but it didn't deter her from the task at hand. What would have been something that would have killed Thor and (Y/n), turned into a few burns and bruises.

"Thor, it's almost ready!" (Y/n) beamed. When she looked over, she noticed how much worse Thor looked compared to her. He had moved away from her protection so she would be less injured, "Thor you idiot!"

Thor let go of his lever, flying forwards towards the rig. After hitting a low hanging structure harshly, he landed on the floor. (Y/n) jumped from the platform, kneeling down next to Thor's limp body.

"Thor, Thor come on," (Y/n) tapped his cheek repeatedly.

"I think he's dying!" Rocket exclaimed in worry.

Eitri clumsily punched the mold a few times, releasing the ax. He stood to his full height, looking around, "He needs the ax! Where's the handle? Tree, help me find the handle!"

"Handle, handle," (Y/n) repeated to herself, searching for either the handle or something she could turn into the handle, "Groot do you- Holy shit!"

Arm extended around the ax pieces, Groot let out a cry and cut off the end of his arm, creating a handle for the ax. (Y/n) looked to Thor, wide-eyed and excited to see if Groot's method would work. Thor's fingers twitched, lightning sparking on them. The ax lit up with lightning as well, lifting off of the ground.

It flew into Thor's outstretched hand. The god rose from his lying position on the ground, eyes bright with electricity. (Y/n) grinned victoriously, stepping up in front of them. (Y/n) didn't have to use her telepathy to know what he was thinking.   
But she did have to use her powers to know where the Avengers were on Earth.

"Wakanda," (Y/n) stated, putting her hand on Thor's shoulder, "Summon the Bifrost and I'll direct us."

"Great, now I get to see why Quill is always talking about Terra," Rocket muttered, coming up next to them with Groot.

Thor flung Stormbreaker into the air. The bright blue light of the Bifrost surrounded the four. With (Y/n) sending the location to Thor, they easily arrived in Wakanda.

"Bring us Thanos!"

The battle in Wakanda was much more brutal than (Y/n) imagined it would be. Dead bodies of Outriders and of Wakadan soldiers littered the ground. Stormbreak flew through the opposing side, killing soldier after soldier.

The entire battlefield became engulfed in gold as (Y/n) used her magic to destroy the enemy. Her sword rested on her hip, ready for use if it was needed. She was being more cautious than usual, putting more energy into the shield. She had two other beings to look after now, it wasn't just her life she was putting at risk.

"Lovely to see you again Steve," (Y/n) greeted casually, blasting an Outrider he was struggling to take down.

"You too (Y/n). Glad you could make it," Steve panted.

"Where's Wanda and Pietro?"

Steve motioned in a general direction. (Y/n) nodded, running off. She hadn't seen Wanda since she worked with her after the fight between Steve and Tony. She wanted to see how she was doing. Pietro too.

Deep, vibrating rumbling erupted from the ground. (Y/n) looked to the source, pausing in her sprint. Threshers emerged from the tree line, spilling even more blood. (Y/n) groaned in frustration, throwing up a shield as a few Outriders jumped at her.

"(Y/n)!"

"Nat!" (Y/n) ran towards the woman, flinching when she heard a Thresher behind her. Hand raised, she was ready to destroy it, but Wanda landed in front of her.

Her eyes blazing red, she waved her hands to the side, ripping the Tresher in half. (Y/n) laughed joyously, running forward to give Wanda a tight hug.

"Why was she up there all this time?" Okoye questioned, confusion evident in her tone.

"Oh Gods I missed you," (Y/n) told Wanda, "Look at you, your hair! Are you doing okay? Under the current circumstances of course."

"I'm alive," Wanda shrugged.

"Good, that's good," (Y/n) nodded. From the corner of her eye, a blue blur moved past her. She stuck her arm out, clotheslining the person, "Nice try Pietro, but we need to focus."

"So my sister can have a moment, but not you?" Pietro's hair was dyed a dark brown, a stark contrast to what it usually was.

"I missed you," (Y/n) smiled coyly, drawing her sword and slashing an Outrider, "I'm glad to be back."

"Should you be back? How are your children?"

"In a pocket dimension. I'm in the last leg of my pregnancy so I'm trying to be careful," (Y/n) blasted a small pack to bits, "I've been doing a good job, I think."

"Nat," Wanda called out to Nat, who was previously occupied with an enemy, "(Y/n)'s still pregnant and somehow fighting. We gotta protect her."

"Guys, come on-"

"No, she's right," Nat agreed, handing me a com, "Just stay by us. Deal?"

"Fine," (Y/n) put the com into her ear, now being tuned in to what was going on with everyone else.

"Guys, we got a Vision situation here."

"On my way," Wanda's hands lit up so she could fly off.

_Bang!_

Less than a second after she prepared, Wanda was struck in the temple by Proxima Midnight. (Y/n) growled, jumping at the woman.

"You're alive," Midnight swung her staff at the Asgardian, "How... annoying."

(Y/n) swung her sword at the Child of Thanos, staggering back when Midnight ducked under and swung at her. Midnight used her moment of weakness and kicked (Y/n) into the ditch near Wanda.

"He'll die alone," Midnight lifted her weapon above Wanda's head, "As will you."

"But they're not alone," Nat jumped into the ditch, Okoye just behind her.

"Agh!" Midnight lunged for Nat and Okoye. She wasn't used to losing, probably didn't like it very much.

"Wanda, Wanda are you okay?" (Y/n) stumbled over to the disoriented woman. She was clutching where her head had been hit, wincing, "Here."

(Y/n) placed her hand on the spot, watching as the forming bruise disappeared. Wanda blinked a few times, nodding in thanks.

"She's mine," Wanda told (Y/n).

"Yeah knock yourself out," (Y/n) took a few steps back to give the woman room.

Wanda held out one hand, freezing the woman before she could put a harsh blow on Nat. Her other hand swung up, throwing the woman into a passing Thresher. Blue blood splattered over Nat and the surrounding area.

"That was really gross," Nat groaned, wiping blood off of her face.

"Not the worst thing I've seen this week," (Y/n) began to climb out of the ditch.

"How bad has your week been?" Okoye asked, genuinely curious.

"Half of my people were slaughtered in front of my eyes. I had to send my husband to one of the farthest realms. And I can't enjoy the last leg of my pregnancy in peace. So, it's sucked."

"I need to go to Vision," Wanda took off, flying towards her love.

_Bum...Babum...Babum bum bum bum bum_

It took (Y/n) a few seconds to realize that it was her own heart she was hearing. It was picking up, going way past its normal rate. (Y/n)'s mind didn't process why until a few seconds later. This had happened once before.

"Thanos," (Y/n) looked to the forest where Vision currently was, "We need to protect the Mind Stone!"

"Everyone, on my position. We have incoming."

In the blink of an eye, (Y/n) was in that forest, waiting, watching. This was her second chance. Last chance. She could sense it, he already had all of the other stones, minus the Reality Stone but he had a substitute for that.

Thanos stepped forward out of a cluster of blue-black clouds. (Y/n) looked over to Steve, "That's him, Steve."

"Eyes up. Stay sharp."

Bruce ran forward in the Hulkbuster suit, first-first. Thanos activated the Space Stone and half-buried him in the stone of the cliff behind him. Steve was sent flying from the Power Stone before he even had a chance to strike a blow. T'Challa leaped high, getting grabbed by the throat and thrown into the ground, his armor discharging violently.

Sam swooped down, firing two pistols. His wings became rubbery and threw him to the ground. (Y/n) took a few steps back, turning to Wanda.

"Wanda, it should be you who destroys that stone, but I won't hesitate if I must," the woman yelled, desperate for victory.

At this point, every other Avenger had been taken out in an attempt to stop Thanos. Rhodey, Bucky, Nat, Groot, and Okoye were down, each by a different method. Thor and Rocket were likely on their way, finishing off the Outriders.

"(Y/n) get back," Steve yelled, sliding under Thanos' arm. The man grabbed the gauntlet, holding Thanos' fingers open. The Titan seemed impressed for a brief moment, "You need to stay alive!"

"I'm not weak because I'm pregnant," (Y/n)'s hands sparked with gold fire, her eyes glowing. This had happened one other time, back with the Dark Elves. She was reverting into a mode of pure power, "I have more to fight for."

Crumpling to the ground from a crushing blow to the head, Steve was out of the game for good. Thanos' stepped over the soldier, regarding (Y/n) with an amused grin.

"Are you going to give a good fight this time?"

Silence was Thanos' answer. (Y/n)'s eyes burned with intensity, fire flickering within her irises. Raising her hand, the world around them shifted, and the Earth beneath Thanos jumped up to swallow him whole.

Thanos used the power stone to blast the rock away, throwing (Y/n) back with the Aether Stone, "Is that the best you can do?"

Letting out a frustrated scream, her heart clenched. Wanda had done it, she had destroyed the Mind Stone. Wholly determined, (Y/n) threw up her hands, pushing all of her power towards Thanos. The Mad Titan pushed forwards, using all five of the stones he had to do so. He never should have underestimated how powerful (Y/n) really was.

"Such power," a bright flash of light pulsed from the gauntlet. (Y/n) fell to the ground, on the edge of unconsciousness. That pulse was a combined blast from every Infinity Stone. Only holding one, she wasn't a match for it, "Gone to waste."

Loud ringing annoyed (Y/n)'s ears. She wiggled one of her fingers, sliding her hand across the grass closer to her body. The woman tried desperately to push herself up to stand. This couldn't be it. She had to keep fighting. She had to.

"No!"

Blinking slowly, (Y/n) turned her aching head to Wanda. She was unconscious on the ground, and Vision was alive. Shit, (Y/n) knew she had forgotten something. The Time Stone could easily bring people back to life.

Head falling to the hard ground again, her heart hit her ribs when Vision was killed, stone intact this time. The ground below her trembled as the Mind Stone joined the gauntlet. That was it, he had all of them.

 _Thor_ , (Y/n)'s mind reached out for the god, _This is your chance_

Thor's battle cry rang throughout the air. Grunting in both pain and determination, (Y/n) pushed herself off of her stomach and onto her knees so she could watch. Stormbreaker passed through Thanos' attempt to block it, lodging itself in his chest.

Thor landed in front of Thanos, one hand holding the back of his head, and the other pushing Stormbreaker deeper into his chest, "I told you. You'd die for that!"

"You should've...You..." Thanos struggled to get his words out, "You should have gone for the head."

"No!" (Y/n) stood to run, but there was nothing she could do. Her vision was temporarily gone when Thanos snapped. When it returned, everything was deadly silent.

"What'd you do?" Thor screamed, panicked, "What'd you do?"

Without giving an answer, Thanos used the Space Stone and teleported away, leaving Stormbreaker in the dirt.

"Thor," (Y/n) called out. The man ran over to her, kneeling down and looking her over, "Did we just lose?"

"Are you alright? How are the twins?" Thor tried to ignore the question, focusing on (Y/n) instead, "You look pale."

"Thor," (Y/n) grabbed his hand, "We lost, didn't we?"

"Where'd he go?" Steve stumbled into the clearing, "Thor, (Y/n), where'd he go?"

"Steve?" Bucky stepped up behind Steve, turning to ash.

"Loki," (Y/n) mumbled, sharing a worried look with Thor. She held out her hand, sending out a hologram to Loki.

He had to be alive. He had to. He had escaped death so many times. This wouldn't be different.

"Darling, I'm glad to hear from you," Loki appeared in front of me, "Alfheim is in quite a fuss right now. Apparently, people are disappearing left and- Oh."

Loki pulled what had happened from Thor and (Y/n)'s devastated faces. Tears began to flow from (Y/n)'s eyes like a river. She closed her eyes tightly, covering her face with one of her hands.

"Darling? Are you alright?"

"I thought you would be gone too," (Y/n) sobbed, breathing labored, "I couldn't stop him and because of that- But you're alive!"

"Talk with him, I'm going to go see who's still here," Thor put his hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder gently. (Y/n) nodded in response.

"I'm alive darling. You can come to Alfheim, away from your worries. We can raise our family. Your loss does not mean this is the end. Alright?"

(Y/n) ran her sleeve under her nose, nodding in understanding, "We'll probably have a lot of work to do before that can happen..."

"We swore to each other on our wedding day that we'd be able to live in peace. It's going to happen, darling. You've worked too hard to not be deserving of that."

Worked too hard? Did (Y/n) really work hard enough? If she had worked harder, maybe she could have killed Thanos. But there was no going back. Thanos was gone, so was half of the universe.

"I'm gonna get Thor to summon the Bifrost so you can come here. I need to see you in person."

"As do I. I love you darling, more than you could ever imagine."

"I love you too, there's never been any doubt in that."


	35. Iona & Kari

"I don't feel comfortable hanging around the Avengers' home base."

"Loki, I love you, but you are the least of anyone's problems right now. I mean that with love and care."

Running a hand over her stomach, (Y/n) stared at the picture in front of her. Immediately after the Snap, (Y/n) was rushed into the Wakandan palace for a checkup. Even with all of the chaos, and all of the collateral damage, Queen Ramonda set aside her grief for (Y/n) to make sure the children were okay.

Two girls was what came of (Y/n)'s first-ever ultrasound. Two girls and another tearful call to Loki that ended in Thor summoning the Bifrost to bring him to Earth. The rest of the remaining Avengers were sent off almost immediately to deal with collateral damage.

For nearly a week there was no time to mourn. Tony was still MIA, Pepper claiming he got on the spaceship in New York and never came back. After the first week of chaos, (Y/n) made it a point to create a memorial at the Snap Point. The day was a dark one, and everyone cried at least once. But it was necessary, and everyone felt ready to regroup and return to the Avengers compound after that.

"Perhaps you're right. Have you thought of names?"

"A few, but we still have a bit of time before they come and I don't want to focus on it until we have to."

Nodding in understanding, Loki was content with sitting beside (Y/n) with a hand on her stomach. He was using magic to get a better feel for the children, communicating with them on a base level that would reach their magic cores.

"Perhaps we should ask my oaf of a brother if he has any ideas. It might lift his spirits. And before then we should contact Valk- (Y/n), your nose is bleeding."

Running a finger over her upper lip, (Y/n) realized with a start that Loki was right. Meeting her husband's concerned eyes, (Y/n) opened her mouth to say something. The pain started.

It was indescribable. (Y/n) wanted to peel off her own skin to take away from the sensations overcoming her body. But below the overwhelming sense of doom, was a detoxifying feeling. The reassurance that if she _were_ to rip off her skin, it would come back better than ever. It was weird and overwhelming, and by the time (Y/n) felt herself coming back she heard yelling all around her.

"...healers escaped, get them..."

"Orveon... bifrost and fast enough to..."

"We can't risk it... far enough along... I can start the surgery now."

Surgery? What was happening? In the back of her mind, (Y/n) identified Bruce, Loki, and Thor speaking. There were other people around her, mumbling, but they weren't as loud.

"Doctor, please..."

"I know."

Something was fitted over (Y/n)'s face, and she fell back into darkness.

_Clean, clean, clean._

Hello?

_Owner, Master, Equal, Me._

Reality Stone. What's going on?

_The Aether is gone. The parasite attached to our being for eternity has been destroyed by my siblings. Our body could not sustain the pain of our family being harmed. But the parasite is gone. No more darkness, no more you. Only us._

Siblings? Us?

_The Infinity Stones, destroyed by the being who brought us together. But not all of us. I survive, and the Aether is no more. The Aether was a parasite, wedging between us and severing our bond. Weak, unsure. But no more. We are strong, and we are now one. Alone, and yet forever bound. My silence is your voice, and your voice is my essence. Our destiny has been achieved._

Squinting, (Y/n) let out a slow breath through her nose. She was waking up. Her conversation with the Reality Stone stayed in her mind, forever fresh as a memory rather than a dream. Even then, sleep made her thoughts hazy and she wasn't processing everything in its entirety.

"(Y/n), my darling," a familiar hand grabbed hers, and (Y/n) turned her heavy head to see her husband, "There you are. You're awake."

"Yes," (Y/n) slowly rose to sit up, noticing an acute soreness in her stomach- "The twins! Bruce was saying something about a surgery and healer from Asgard-"

"They're alright!" Loki was quick to assure, "They performed what the Midgardians refer to as a 'C-section', due to the stress your body was put under. Strong, healthy, beautiful girls. All of their traits received from their mother."

"Are they blue?" (Y/n) found it in herself to joke.

"No, thankfully. Although they do have red eyes. A worthy compromise. Do you know what happened to you?"

Bruce chose that moment to step into the room, "I'd like to know that too. Complete organ shut down for at least two minutes, and the brain scan came back with unimaginable activity that I'd compare to encephalitis. Your mind was on fire."

"The Stones!" (Y/n)'s eyes widened, "The Stones were destroyed! My body reacted to the Aether Stone being destroyed the way a body fights off a fever, in a more extreme light. It was always a parasite, and I held it close to me as if it'd save me. But this entire time, it was the reason I was so disconnected."

Bruce and Loki exchanged equally confused looks, "(Y/n), did you just say that the stones were destroyed?"

"Yes. Yes. How long have I been out?"

"Two days. A lot has happened since then. Tony and a woman named Nebula landed here, he's okay but neither of them came back with the other team members they were in space with. Tony's recovering now. He's was exhausted, starved, and dehydrated."

Giving Loki's hand a squeeze, (Y/n) gave him a smile, "Tell the others about the stones. But before that, show me my girls."

Bruce was the one to call the others together. Loki left the room and returned a few minutes later with Eir, the head Midgardian healer, by his side. In each of their arms was a bundle. Eyes widening, (Y/n) was quick to adjust so she could hold both of the girls at once.

Immediately, the babies seemed to sense who was holding them and they squirmed slightly, grunting in the most adorable way. (Y/n) let out a choked laugh, quickly followed by a sob. Loki was quick to pull his chair close to her and hold her close.

"Thank you Eir," (Y/n) was quick to thank the woman, who smiled under the praise. (Y/n) knew that without her, Bruce would have been partially lost and things would have been much harder, "And thank you Freyja for blessing us with such healthy children."

Loki was right when he said the girls had red eyes. It shocked (Y/n) slightly when they opened them, but she found herself holding them tighter all the same. One had slightly darker hair than the other, both a shade of (H/c). (Y/n) loved them.

"They've been feeding off of formula for the past two days, but I believe it's important that you take over if you feel well enough. It will not only make up for the bonding missed but will help them develop further and make up for their early birth," Eir advised.

"Right," (Y/n) gently ran a thumb over each of the girl's mouths, noticing how they puckered immediately, "You're hungry, now, then."

~*~

Thor didn't come see the girls until much later that evening, and by that point the sun had set and the pair was fast asleep in their clear, temporary cribs. Now that (Y/n) was awake, she easily healed the wound on her stomach, but Eir advised that she rest longer. The healer didn't understand that (Y/n) now held a full connection to an Infinity Stone and could bend reality completely.

"You're in your armor," Loki noted Thor's appearance, pushing the spare chair towards him, "Your quest?"

"(Y/n) was correct. The stones were destroyed. Which means no chance of getting everyone back," Thor seemed devastated, and struggled to get the words out, "But I went for the head."

"Oh, Thor," (Y/n) whispered, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his arm, "We'll get through this together. If I could recreate the stones I would."

"You can't?"

"To create the stones with a stone isn't how it works. Reality is fickle and bends to my will, but to recreate the stones would be like shattering it. But I've noticed something. Look outside," (Y/n) pointed out the window, "What do you see?"

"A forest?"

"Yes. Thanos wanted to kill half of everything. Plants, animals, humans. But he couldn't, because he didn't hold the full power. That's why there are still so many trees and animals. Tomorrow, we'll have to speak to the Asgardian people and create a new Asgard, but until then it's time for you to meet your nieces."

With a wave of (Y/n)'s hand, the cribs shifted from the other side of the bed to in front of Thor. His eyes widened, and it was easy to see the tears pooling along his waterline.

"If you promise not to crush them, you can hold one," Loki picked up Baby Girl 1 and passed her to Thor's arms slowly, "Cradle the head and hold her close, yes there you go."

"What are their names?" Thor sniffled.

Pointing at the girl still in her crib, (Y/n) said, "That's Kari. You're holding Baby Girl One. We haven't named her yet. Traditionally, when a child is born into the royal family, direct lineage or not, the king chooses the name. So, what will it be?"

Looking to (Y/n) and Loki several times, back and forth as if waiting for one of them to say it was a joke, Thor finally lamented and looked down at the girl in his arms again, "Iona."

"Surprisingly good choice, brother," Loki mused, "Then meet Kari and Iona Lokidottir. Princesses of Asgard."

"Their godly titles?" Thor looked at the current heirs in awe, and (Y/n) was relieved that he was able to forget about the mission failure for even a moment.

Godly titles are given at birth by the parents based on their magical signatures. Traditionally, it's only for royal or high up families. Which was why (Y/n) didn't officially have one, coming from a common family - though she didn't need one. Holder of the Reality Stone was a good enough title for her.

"Kari is the Goddess of Sexuality, and Iona is the Goddess of Safety." Worthy titles, ones that (Y/n) was sure they'd live up to.

Thor stayed in the hospital room until it became too late and Bruce had to come in to announce that "visiting hours were over".

The next morning, Thor was back again and simply basked in the presence of the room. Him and Loki often talked about the Asgardians on Orveon, and where they would create New Asgard on Midgard.

Throughout the day the other Avengers popped in. Their moods were dark when they arrived, but eventually brightened the longer they spent with the children. Babies always had a way of doing that. Pietro stayed the longest - besides Thor - and often flitted out for a few seconds only to return with something baby related. (Y/n) never bothered asking where the item came from.

"Two girls. Imagine if Wanda and I were twin girls," Pietro chuckled, though it was weak and pained, "Twins have a connection, no matter what. They'll always remain close."

The last to arrive was Tony, still hooked up to an IV pole.

"Well, well, you two were certainly busy," Tony greeted, Pepper hovering close behind him.

"Stark," Loki greeted coldly, although the quirk of his brow showed that all was forgiven if Tony would give the same courtesy.

"Sup Reindeer Games. Scored yourself a good wife, that's for sure. Cute kids too. Never really liked them, too loud and... sticky," Tony stood over the girls, a small smile forming on his lips, "But I've warmed up to them. How's that unimaginable power, coming along Powerhouse?"

"Stronger than ever. We're finally one."

"That sounds strangely ominous," Tony chuckled. (Y/n) waved her hand and two seats appeared for the pair to sit down in, "What are your plans for the tykes now that the world has gone to hell?"

"Tony."

"It's okay, Pepper. We're hoping to raise them here, in New Asgard."

"New Asgard? Where's that gonna be?"

Thor cleared his throat, "Loki and I have come to a decision."


	36. Hope

**Five Years Later**

"Iona, Kari, Morgan, lunchtime!"

Within seconds, the three girls broke through the treeline and practically fell over each other to see who could get to (Y/n) first. Morgan was naturally at a disadvantage because she wasn't Asgardian, but she was doing quite well all things considered.

"Root!" Iona quickly pulled Morgan to the side, only momentarily pausing their race as her protective instincts kicked in. What a good Goddess of Safety she was.

Soon enough, the three girls converged on the porch. All of them were panting, though giggly all the same. (Y/n) smiled at them, ushering them into the house where Pepper's famous vegetable ziti was waiting for them.

"Wash your hands, please," Pepper called from where she was setting the table.

While the girls went into the kitchen to wash their hands, the four adults converged in the dining room and took their seats. (Y/n) and Loki left two seats in between them for the twins, and Pepper and Tony left one for Morgan.

"You were talking about New Asgard's new trade deal?" Tony asked Loki, who nodded.

"Queen Romanda of Wakanda has sought out our magic capabilities. The tribes of Wakanda see the potential in charmed objects, so we're discussing possible trade options with them. My brother is absolutely helpless when it comes to negotiations and foreign affairs, even if our allies have everyone's best interests at heart."

The girls came back in and clambered into their seats. The adults helped them scoop out servings and the meal began.

"That's why Thor put us in charge of foreign affairs, the gods know Valkyrie is already busy handling our main imports," (Y/n) chimed in.

"That's only because Thor assumed she'd be happy dealing with all that alcohol."

The adults chuckled, while the girls seemed confused at the joke they couldn't understand. Tony piped up, "If I could have a job like that then I'd gladly take it."

"You _are_ a master at mixing drinks," Loki agreed.

The past five years felt like an eternity in the best and worst ways. The settlement of New Asgard took up a solid two, the addition of two babies adding to the stress of it all. But it was all worth it to see the Asgardians settled in a new home, and to know that the twins would have a place where they were safe and loved.

For a while, it was up to (Y/n) and Loki to handle the royal duties - with the help of their trusted friends. Thor fell into a depression that (Y/n) easily recognized. She was the same way when she thought she'd lost Loki more than once. He needed space at first, and then they intervened before he could spiral.

(Y/n) got him into therapy. It wasn't a traditional form of Asgardian medicine, but the healers quickly picked it up when they heard of the Midgardian form of mental healing. It was helpful, and slowly but surely, the other Revengers joined in as well. It truly cemented the healing process, and after three years, all of them felt stable again. (Just in time for the terrible threes too.)

When Pepper and Tony announced they were pregnant a few months after the snap, it seemed like the perfect chance to reconcile friendships that either drifted apart with time or create friendships from former rivalries. The twins and Morgan were raised so closely that they were more like three sisters than close friends. The weekly playdates brought the two families closer together as well, and they all put past conflicts behind them in favor of something much brighter.

For the first time in a long time, life was calm. Not perfect - never perfect when (Y/n) thought of the missing Maximoff, or the tree that could talk, or her fellow Infinity Stone holder - but it was calm.

"And then Kari almost went down the whole driveway without falling over!" Iona finished her dramatic retelling of Kari trying out Morgan's new bike.

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" Loki asked in concern.

"No, Iona stopped me before I could hit the ground," Kari shrugged, completely casual, "I was going fast but she used her glowy hands."

The adults' forks hit their plates with abrupt _clanks_. (Y/n) cleared her throat, and looked to her daughters, " _How_ did she stop you?"

"It just happened!" Morgan cut in excitedly, "Like how last time I got all muddy because of the rain but Iona cleaned off my shoes!"

Sharing a look, (Y/n) and Loki knew they'd have to start the girls' magic lessons sooner than they thought. Usually, it was an acquired skill that was taught to those who had the resources, but it wasn't surprising that the girls were born with it considering who their parents were. On top of magic lessons, they'd be starting school that year as well - well ahead of their peers, thanks to Loki's love for literature.

After lunch, the family exchanged goodbyes and (Y/n) warped all of them back to their home New Asgard. Despite being nestled near the ocean in what could have been a fishing village, (Y/n)'s new stability with her powers allowed her to turn shacks into homes reminiscent of Asgardian architecture. She was determined to carry over anything she could from their old realm.

"Hello, man-child who does not live here," Loki greeted Pietro in a tired tone.

"Uncle Pietro!" The girls squealed, rushing to their honorary uncle and jumping on him - causing him to grunt and sit up abruptly, laughing as the twins greeted him with hugs.

"What brings you to New Asgard?"

"I was out for a morning run. I'm supposed to meet Korg and Miek for a gaming tournament later today, so I figured I'd hang around until then."

"And you couldn't hang around in their home?"

"Nah, too messy even for me. I figured Thor was doing some king stuff, so I just hung around here. Hey, how come you didn't make him a palace? Then I'd be really eager to hang there instead," Pietro smiled as he threw the girls into the air.

"Because New Asgard is built on the trust and equality of all the citizens. There's no more, _ahem_ , royal secrets hidden under loads of gold," (Y/n) chided, plucking Kari out of the air before Pietro could catch her, "Do you girls want to go meet with your auntie?"

"Aww, but we haven't seen Uncle Pietro in forever!" Kari pouted.

"I'll be here for dinner," Pietro promised, kneeling down to be level with the girls, "And after, I can take you two for a piggyback ride around the island, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Your aunt is in the fields right now," (Y/n) told the girls.

"If you ask her nicely, she might let you use some daggers," Loki grinned, then quickly corrected his statement when (Y/n) shot him a glare, " _Fake_ daggers, _carefully_."

Sharing mischievous smirks that were entirely their father's, the twins sprinted out of the house. The three adults watched them go down the pathway and enter the village. Asgardian citizens made way for the children who held their hearts, yelling greetings to them as they passed by.

"They get bigger every time I visit," Pietro commented when (Y/n) finally shut the front door, "I always assumed it'd take them hundreds of years to grow to the age they are now."

Loki shook his head, "Asgardian children age as Midgardian children would. When they reach full maturity, their aging slows down drastically."

"Explains why (Y/n) is so beautiful _and_ wise," Pietro grinned flirtatiously, ignoring Loki's warning glare and (Y/n)'s eye roll.

"How's everyone else?" (Y/n) asked, taking a seat in the living room and creating some drinks for everyone to have, "I'm assuming you've been keeping in touch?"

Due to (Y/n)'s warping abilities, she found it easy to visit the others and made an effort to, but her duties to both New Asgard and her children kept her busy most of the time and it was difficult. It'd been well over half a year since she'd last seen everyone.

"As much as I can," Pietro shrugged, picking up a cup, "I rarely see Stark, but neither of us are hurt over that. The Captain is leading group therapy, always looking towards the future which is ironic. Doctor Banner is big and green all the time which is very strange. My honorary father is still off the grid, you've seen him?"

"I'm always aware of his location, yes. He's not the type to respond well to traditional therapy. And Nat?"

"Doing her best. But sad. She's taken on a large burden."

"No one asked her to single-handedly reform and run what was left of the Avengers," Loki mumbled, taking a sip of his strong tea and focusing on his cup rather than the glare he could feel from his wife.

"She's still repenting," (Y/n) sighed, "I'll have to visit her soon. Maybe she should take a vacation? We could travel to space or Alfheim?"

Glancing up, it was hard to miss the confliction on Pietro's face. He was leaving something out. (Y/n) and Loki raised their brows in a way that only couples that were perfectly in sync could do, waiting for him to break under their scrutiny.

"Something has come up," Pietro started slowly, avoiding the pair's gazes, "Scott Lang appeared at the compound this morning. He was the Ant-Man who fought with us?"

"Yes, right. During the whole Accords issue."

"Right. He's always been assumed to have dusted, but he returned claiming he was stuck in a realm where time worked differently. Something called the Quantum Realm? He spoke of time travel."

(Y/n)'s stomach dropped. In the early days, she thought of time travel herself. That or creating a new reality where the snap never happened, but both were extremely dangerous and were roads she didn't dare travel down. Time travel would create branches of doom, and a new reality could crack under the smallest mistake on (Y/n)'s part. She didn't want any Watchers breathing down her neck either.

"The Captain was visiting at the time, and he and Natasha are determined to figure it out to bring the stones back. They were going to visit Stark first- tomorrow. After that..."

"They'll come for us, too," Loki concluded with a sigh, "Thank you for informing us. We'll discuss what to do when the problem arises."

Light conversation carried on after that, but (Y/n)'s mind kept going back to Scott Lang and the new possibilities he presented. She was aware that as soon as Pietro left that night, her and Loki would have to talk through their options, but she didn't want to make the decision. Either option was almost too much for her to bear.

~*~

Two days after Pietro's initial report, a truck slowly meandered upon the road leading to New Asgard. (Y/n) sensed the beings on it as soon as they entered the wards around the village, and she was quick to inform her husband.

The couple was helping Valkyrie unload a fresh shipment of supplies at the dock. The girls were spending the day with their Uncle while he spoke with the field workers about the upcoming winter.

"What a strange pair you two make," (Y/n) shouted out a greeting to Bruce and Rocket, who stopped as if they were caught with a hand in the cookie jar, "Welcome to New Asgard. What do you think of it now that it's not on fire, Bruce?"

Bruce managed a smile at the reference to when he saw Asgard for the first - and last - time, "You've done good with the place."

"I liked you better either of the other ways," Valkyrie informed Bruce as she passed by with two crates in her arms.

"This is Rocket." It was easy to tell that Bruce was excited to see Valkyrie again, despite the monthly Skype calls that Valkyrie denied participating in.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"You're here to see my brother, I assume?" Loki spoke up.

"Well, we're here to talk to Thor and (Y/n) actually, you too if you're over your varying urge to kill everyone."

With a shrug, Loki looked to his wife. (Y/n) nodded. With a quick wave of her hand, the remaining boxes moved from the ship to the docks.

"(Y/n), I was doing strength training by moving those!" Valkyrie complained.

"We have to go. Moving them into storage is your new job. Have fun."

The group of four took a short walk down the main road of the village to the "palace", which was really just a house slightly larger than the others towards the center of the town. The only reason it was larger than the others was because of Thor's personal "problem solving room", where he liked to meet with the villagers personally if they had any requests or issues to speak to him about.

"Oh, Lady (Y/n)," the head farmer, Gefjun, gave the woman a bright smile, "my Prince, how lovely to see you. Your girls are just lovely."

"Thank you, Gefjun. If you'll excuse us, we have important matters to discuss with the King," Loki motioned to the company behind him and his wife. Gefjun's eyes widened at the sight of the Hulk. Afterall, the last time he was seen was during Ragnarok.

"Of course!" The woman was quick to walk down the pathway and continue on her way.

"I thought you'd all be more... disorganized with this whole thing," Rocket commented as the group stepped into the house.

(Y/n) chuckled, "We were for a while. Thor was really torn up about what happened with Thanos after the snap, so he was out of commission for a while and it was up to us to rule. The Asgardians still held some mistrust towards Loki, and I had twins to look after. But without the Aether, it was easy to make something out of nothing and make a home for all of us. Things are better now."

"Thor, we've got company!"

The King of Asgard beamed upon seeing who he considered to be his closest friends. He stood from his "throne" (a fancy wingback chair) and pulled the pair into a tight group hug.

"Friends! How good to see you!"

"Uncle Bruce!" The twins sprinted in from the other room and jumped into Bruce's arms.

"Are you Rocket?" Iona asked.

"Yeah, kid," Rocket seemed uncomfortable.

"But you aren't a rabbit," Kari frowned.

"I'm aware."

"Here, this room is for royal business. Always boring. Come with me," Thor led the group into the living room, where Korg and Miek were playing a game on the Playstation 4.

"Hulk, you know my boys, Korg and Miek, right?"

"Beer's in the bucket. Feel free to log on to the WiFi," Korg greeted casually.

"Hey, guys. Long time no-"

"Thor! This kid on the TV just called me a dickhead again!"

"Noobmaster again?"

"NoobMaster69 called me a dickhead."

Thor snatched Korg's headset and hissed into the mic, "Noobmaster, this is Thor, again. God of Thunder. This is your last warning. Log off this game or I will come to your basement, rip off your arms, and shove them up your butt."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, (Y/n) held back a sigh of disappointment. How the man in front of her could be such a good king and a child at the same time was a true feat.

"What are you doing here, Uncle Bruce?" Iona asked the question everyone was wondering.

"We need your help. There's a chance we can fix everything."

The room fell silent. Even Korg and Miek stopped gaming. Thor's smile fell, and Loki and (Y/n) were tempted to just make clones of themselves and leave the situation, even though they knew it was coming.

Clearing his throat, Thor said, "Well, I guess that's formal business. Iona, Kari, why don't you play with Miek and Korg?"

"Okay," the girls were smart enough to realize that the adults needed to talk alone.

After returning to the council room, the tension only rose as everyone waited for someone to speak.

"How?" Thor finally asked.

"Time travel, we figured it out. We can go back, get the stones, and create a new gauntlet. We have another chance."

"We can bring them all back," Rocket added, albeit more quietly.

Silence fell again, although this time it was a lot more contemplative.

"You understand that we aren't willing to get our hopes up only to have them be crushed again, correct?" Loki asked.

"We've spent the past five years healing," (Y/n) added, "We all miss everyone that was lost dearly, but to feel like we have them in our grasp only to have them ripped away again... before any decision is made, we want to know what we're working with."

"Thanks to Scott we have the general idea of time travel down. Right now we're just trying to finalize everything. We were also hoping that you and Loki would be able to help."

"Us?"

"All of us are science-based, but time travel is more than that. Both of you can use magic, and (Y/n) you _are_ a stone, so it'd be a big help to have you on board."

"We know you probably feel like you have all you need here, but-"

"I'll help," Thor cut Rocket off with his final decision, "I... I trust you."

(Y/n) wanted to say no. The night before, her and Loki agreed that they would support from a distance. Observe but not participate. But sitting there, all (Y/n) could think about was all the time she spent with Wanda after the Accords, and how excited she was to no longer be the only Infinity Stone holder, or the Guardians of the Galaxy-

"We'll help you."

"We will?" Loki questioned, then nodded slowly when (Y/n) gave him a telling look, "Yes, we will assist you. Of course we'll need to find a sitter for the girls... I don't trust Valkyrie to do it."

"Neither do I, she's a bad influence. Eir might be open."

(Y/n) pushed down the gentle feeling swelling in her chest. She wouldn't allow it to bloom, not yet. Not until she saw the progress of the time travel machine at the same time and made her own decisions about the probability of their success.

Yet, the hope wouldn't go away.


	37. Time Travel

"Out of the way, Lebowski. Powerhouse, Reindeer Games, Pepper's a bit offended you didn't choose her to babysit," Tony quipped as he passed by.

"The girls can go over later if they like. I'll let Eir know," (Y/n) waved a dismissive hand, more interested in the machine in front of her. That mortal contraption was what would allow them to travel through space and time? Tony was truly a genius if it worked.

"I don't like this," Loki didn't bother trying to hide his distaste of the situation, "The girls were so upset when we said we were leaving. Darling, maybe I should go back just to be sure that-"

"Loki, love, they're okay," (Y/n) assured, pushing down her own apprehension. They spent the entire night before with the girls in their bed. The two were young, but incredibly attuned to the world around them thanks to their abilities. They knew something serious was going on and refused to leave their parents' sides.

A blur stopped just beside (Y/n), and an arm appeared around her shoulder, "I'm glad you decided to come. It'd likely be a lot harder without you."

"We're happy to help," Thor assured.

"Oh, I was talking to (Y/n), but- woah!" Pietro jumped out of the way of a dagger slice, "Nice aim, Loki. I'll go assist the others. I know when I'm not wanted."

"Liar," Loki grumbled as Pietro sped away.

Smiling at her husband's jealousy, (Y/n) took his hand and pecked his cheek. He sent her a smile, reassured. Deep _deep_ down Loki cared for Pietro, similarly to how he cared for Thor and often struggled to show it.

"Well, look what the tide dragged in," a sultry voice drawled behind the three Asgardians.

"Natasha!" Thor practically tackled the semi-red-head into a hug, "Oh, how good it is to see you. It's been so long! I like what you did with your hair. I grew mine out again, as you can see. Loki's is shorter. We switched!"

"It's good to see you Thor, but it feels like you cracked a rib," Nat sighed in relief when she was released, "Thanks."

"Hey, Nat," (Y/n) was much more gentle with her hug, "Good to see you. Here, take my hand," (Y/n) held out her hand and Nat hesitantly took it, "On Odin, I swear that once this is over we will go on a vacation together."

Trying to jerk her hand away when their hands glowed gold, Nat gave (Y/n) a betrayed look when the light finally died down, "Why would you do that?"

"Because we don't spend nearly enough time together and I can sense that you're stressed out of your mind. You have been for a long time. I'm okay with possibly putting the girls in danger by leaving them with Loki for a week."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, darling."

"You told them to go play with knives with Valkyrie, Loki," (Y/n) deadpanned, "Even Iona's abilities as the Goddess of Safety can't counteract something like that at her age."

Just as Tony and Rocket seemed to be putting the finishing touches on the machine, Scott, Bruce, Rhodey, and Clint entered. Clint was wearing one of the suits designed to withstand the travel, meaning he was going to be the test run.

"Okay, Clint, you might feel a little disoriented when you chronoshift," Bruce warned as he set things up.

"Hang on, I've got to ask, if we can do this, why don't we just go find baby Thanos and, you know..." Rhodey made a strangling gesture.

"Uh, one, because that's horrible. And, two, killing baby Thanos doesn't kill adult Thanos. Time doesn't work like that. You can't change the future by changing the past."

"Sure, we can. We take the stones before Thanos gets them, then he doesn't have them. Problem solved."

Sensing the confusion surrounding time travel, (Y/n) stepped in to explain. She drew a glowing line in the air, "This is our timeline, correct? If we were to make a change, say, take one of the stones away, our line doesn't change. Instead, things branch off. So removing the stone will create different timelines instead of changing ours. That's why we need to bring everything back here."

Everyone seemed to comprehend the concept a lot better thanks to (Y/n)'s explanation, and she stepped back to Bruce and Tony could continue their work.

"Okay, Clint Starting in three... two... one..."

In the blink of an eye, Clint was gone and back. He fell to his knees. Tony and Nat ran up to him, concerned and anxious to hear the results.

"Are you alright? Hey, look at me. You okay?"

"Tell me something good..."

Clint held up a baseball mitt, "It worked. It worked."

Everyone was simultaneously shocked and relieved. It _really_ worked. They had a chance at getting everyone back. The hope that (Y/n) had been trying to suppress practically slapped her. She stumbled into Loki's side, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her tightly.

"Holy crap. We're freaking time travelers."

~*~

On a holo-board were the six Infinity Stones. Seeing them made (Y/n)'s heart ache in a way she hadn't felt in five years. Everyone lost family and friends, but (Y/n) lost more than that. She lost items she was bonded to so deeply that their intertwined fates were written into the fabric of the universe.

Above each stone was the artifact it originated from: Loki's Scepter, The Tesseract, The Eye of Agamotto, The Orb, The Aether, and a question mark.

"Okay. Now that we've got how, we're going to need where and when. Most folks here have encountered at least one of the six Infinity Stones."

"I think you mean nearly been killed by one of the six Infinity Stones," Tony amended Steve's speech.

"I haven't," Scott held up a hand, then slowly lowered when everyone looked at him, "Just saying..."

"Regardless, we've only got enough Pym Particles for one round trip, each. And the Stones have been in a lot of places throughout history."

"Is... is the amount of Pym Particles we have a problem?" (Y/n) asked, a brow raised in confusion. Everyone looked at her like she was stupid, save Loki who knew where she was going, "Well, it's just that I can replicate items... you know... because I can bend reality to my will. So if we need more vials of particles then I can just multiply them and we'll have more chances."

All was quiet for a few seconds. Everyone seemed dumbfounded, and (Y/n) tried not to take offense. She'd spent a decade trying to learn the true extent of her powers, and on top of that what she could do with them. But creating and replicating items was something she'd been doing since she'd first come to Midgard.

Clearing his throat, Clint said, "Either way, we should be careful about where we pick. You can't be everywhere at once. Once we get to our destination we'll only have so many chances."

Everyone stated their agreement, though things seemed less tense with the reassurance that they could go on more than one trip.

"Let's start with the Aether. Thor, Loki, (Y/n), what do we know?"

"Well, I don't know if we even need the A-" Thor grunted when (Y/n) delivered a harsh kick to his shin, sending him a glare.

"We can get it from Asgard, 2013," she said casually. Wiggling her fingers, she handed a small piece of paper to both Thor and Loki - who were sitting on either side of her.

"It's malicious, but we should be able to calm it down and morph it into a stone from a liquid," Loki provided when he finished skimming over the note.

_Don't you want a chance to see home again?_

"What, is it just your essence?" Clint glared. He wasn't as quick to forgive Loki as everyone else, and it didn't help that he'd missed five years of seeing him as a docile father.

"Actually, it's my wife's. Watch your words, archer," Loki snapped back.

"Oh, shit," Pietro whispered, biting back a smile and (probably) the urge to get popcorn.

"Loki," (Y/n) put a hand on his arm to keep him from starting an argument that'd distract them from their true goal, "Let's move on. What about the Power Stone?"

"Quill got it from Morag," Rocket started.

"That's a person?" Bruce questioned.

"It's a planet. Quill is a person."

"Wait, like a planet... in space?"

Rocket pinched Scott's cheek, "Aw, look. It's like a puppy, all happy and everything. You want to go to space, puppy? I'll take you to space."

"Rabbit."

"Sorry, Your Majesty," Rocket gave an exaggerated bow, "After Morag, it stayed with us. There was a whole battle on Xandar that Quill won in a dance-off."

"He saved the galaxy in a dance-off?" Nat asked to clarify.

"Yeah, it was more normal than you'd think. Anyway, after the battle it was kept under tight security on Xandar up until... well, getting it from Xandar wouldn't work. So, we need to get it from Morag."

"Good, so, we'll get that one from Morag in what? 2014?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

Writing that out on the holo-board, Steve moved on to the Eye of Agamotto, looking around for someone who could offer information. Considering how all of them were mortals who didn't understand magic, (Y/n) took over.

"It belonged to Doctor Stephen Strange at the time of the Snap."

"Wasn't he that guy who was running that one place? He summoned us before the Ragnarok," Thor offered, "He kidnapped Loki."

"He did not kidnap me. He trapped me in a series of portals for thirty minutes," Loki defended, seemingly offended at the prospect of being able to be kidnapped, "And yes, that pitiful warlock was the holder of the Eye of Agamotto."

"He was based in New York too," Tony concluded, "He was with me when we went into space. Bleecker Street was the address."

"Bleecker and Sullivan."

The Tesseract and Loki's scepter were present at obvious times, New York, 2012. To try to track them down before or after would be stupid.

"And, the Soul Stone?"

"Thanos found the Soul Stone on Vormir," Nebula stood.

"And that is..."

"A dominion of death at the very center of celestial existence. It's the place where Thanos murdered my sister."

The statement hung heavily. The pieces clicked in (Y/n)'s mind, and she squeezed the hand that Loki was holding. He looked to her for an explanation but resolved to wait when she sent him a look.

A dominion of death. Two went and one returned. An eye for an eye. A soul for a soul. It was so glaringly obvious that it hurt. To send a group to Vormir, knowing that one of them would be led to their death... (Y/n) wouldn't stand for it, and she would find a way so that all parties would leave safely. She held the power of the universe in her hands, and she would use it.

"Not it," Scott finally managed.

As the night grew later, and a plan was slowly being formed, takeout was ordered so the group could eat and work at the same time. Still, the sun set and no one was sure about what teams would go where and when.

"You know," (Y/n) started in between bites of her chicken fried rice, "We could just send a large team to New York. There were three stones there, right? So we have one team for New York, one for space, and one for Asgard."

The entire group stopped and looked at her in silence for the second time that day.

"Three stones in New York at the same time," Nat repeated, "Two in space, one on Asgard. Six teams, three groups. (Y/n), you're a goddamn genius."

With a more concrete structure in place, getting the base of a plan in order was easy. The most they had to do was figure out who would be on what teams, and possible back up plans if they ran into trouble. Without the possibility of being stuck in a time they couldn't get out of, the mission had lost some of the high-stakes aspects.

"Thor, (Y/n), and Loki will be going to Asgard-"

"I'm going to Vormir," (Y/n) interrupted Steve's planning, "With Nat and Clint. They need me there."

"You don't want to visit Asgard again?" Nat questioned.

"I can go once we get the Soul Stone. I'm going with you two. End of discussion."

"Alright, well then Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodey can..."

~*~

It was decided they'd make their move the next day. Loki and (Y/n) video called the girls to make sure everything was okay and promised that as soon as the mission was over they could go to Morgan's and have a sleepover.

"Why not come to Asgard with us?" Loki asked as the two were crawling into bed, "What's so significant about Vormir?"

"A soul for a soul, Loki." (Y/n) whispered.

"You aren't seriously implying that-"

"Yes. Either Nat or Clint would be going to their deaths if they went to Vormir without me- just as Gamora had done."

"And you aren't?" Loki sat up, brows drawn together in a mix between concern and frustration.

"No, I don't think so. I've been thinking, and I might have an idea. There are billions of realities, connected like neurons in the brain. If I can find a reality with someone who can die and come back simultaneously, then I can break the barrier between and pull them over."

"Is that a smart idea?"

No. It was an extremely stupid idea. Because then she'd be put on the Watcher's high-risk list - if she wasn't on it already - and she'd have to play it safe for the rest of her life. But it was entirely worth it if it meant keeping everyone safe.

"As smart as I can make it. I can't lose someone in the process of bringing everyone else back," (Y/n) placed a hand on Loki's cheek, smiling when he kissed her palm, "It'll be okay. I swear on my magic."

"I love you, darling."

The pair laid down again, anxious and seeking comfort in the others' presence. The mission would go well. They'd get the stones, return home, and enjoy life with the rest of their loved ones.

~*~

That morning felt like an eternity. Everyone was up by nine and ate breakfast together. Few words were exchanged, and conversations were kept short. Morale was constantly fluctuating between high and low. When the time came to go over the plan for a final time, it finally set in that they were about to traverse time and the universe.

"Remember, you two don't need to get the Aether. It'd be more of an issue than anything," (Y/n) told Thor and Loki quietly after all of them had changed into their suits, "See Asgard again, talk to Frigga or Odin. Enjoy your time with them. We don't know when or if we'll be able to do it again."

The pair nodded, and the entire Avengers group came together to begin their walk to the time machine.

"Okay, we have a plan. Six stones, three teams, one shot. Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. But today we have a chance to take it all back. You have your teams and you have assignments. Get your stone, and get back here. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going back to places we know. That doesn't mean we know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. Improvise, if you have to. This is the fight of our lives. And we're going to win. Whatever it takes." Steve monologued.

Plucking one of the containers of Pym Particles from her pocket, (Y/n) multiplied it until each person was able to have two sets - two chances.

"All right, you heard the man. Stroke those keys, Jolly Green," Tony gave Bruce the signal.

"Tracking beacons engaged."

The platform began to vibrate. It was time.

"See you in a minute," Nat grinned.

"Actually, it'll be closer to seven or eight microseconds, give or-"

And they were gone.


	38. Master of Reality

Appearing on a random planet years ago was disconcerting. The group of 5 heroes (and one former Child of Thanos) were quick to unshrink the spaceship Rocket had stored in his pocket and take it to their first destination. Morag. It was only a jump away plus a ten-minute flight. When they reached the desolate land (Y/n) closed her eyes. She could feel the Power Stone. She wanted it- _needed_ it. Her entire being cried out for what her mind called a sibling.

Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodey left the ship. Shaking her head to rid herself of her longing, (Y/n) flipped the switch that would lower the pod the trio would take the rest of the way.

 _"Vormir's coordinates are loaded into the computer,"_ Rocket reminded the trio when the ship detached from the line.

 _"Good luck,"_ Rhodey added.

"Same to you guys."

With Nat now in the co-pilot seat, (Y/n) started the auto-pilot and leaned back to let the system do its work. Behind the women, Clint let out a small laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just... we're a long way from Budapest."

"Further every second," Nat motioned to the space around them.

Smiling at the pair, (Y/n) wasn't sure how to feel. She was far from her girls, in time and space. Far from Loki and Thor too. But she was close to the Infinity Stones. They were deadly, uncontrollable, and a part of her. She and the Reality Stone had become one years ago, and so the stone's loneliness was her own. Though, it was easily stemmed when surrounded by so many loved ones. The original Reality Stone owner lived the longest and took their own life because of loneliness. She'd never damn herself to the same fate.

Without any possible jump points, the flight to Vormir was comparatively longer than their flight to Morag. Every second counted, but they'd all return with the stones at the same time anyway. Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodey likely already had the Power Stone and were back in the future with Nat, Clint, and (Y/n). (Y/n) didn't think about it too deeply.

Eventually, the ship landed. Vormir was a beautifully dark planet, with a foreboding energy that struck (Y/n) right in the chest as soon as she stepped off the ship.

"You alright?" Nat asked, picking up on (Y/n)'s slight stumble.

"Fine, fine. Let's move, I can take us to the stone."

Not straight to the stone, rather to the place where they could get it. The stone itself felt like it was in a pocket dimension, unattainable until the dreaded sacrifice.

"Under different circumstances, this would be totally awesome." Clint breathed out as they climbed a hill and got a good look of the world around them.

The archway leading to the sacrifice drop was ancient stone etched with even more ancient markings. (Y/n) paused to run her hand over them, sucking in a deep breath as her mind filled with memories of a past life. She'd created this place, along with the other stone holders. Soul had always been stubborn, and the fairest of the bunch. This was a final gift before the Stones separated.

"Really starting to regret my choice here," Clint looked at the archway with wide eyes, breathing ragged from the hike it took to get there.

"Yeah. I'm gonna bet the raccoon didn't have to climb a mountain."

"I don't think technically he's a raccoon..."

"Whatever. He eats garbage."

A rustle came from inside the archway, and the trio pointed their weapons at the hooded figure that suddenly appeared.

"I assure you, you have nothing to fear from me."

"Creepy."

"Welcome, Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. (Y/n), your exaltedness."

"Why do you get a formal greeting?" Nat nudged (Y/n) with her elbow.

"Creepier."

"Who are you?"

"Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone."

"Great. You show us where it is, and we'll be on our way."

The figure removed their hood, revealing a deep red skull. Faintly (Y/n) recalled a story of Steve's. A piece of Earth's history she should know.

"Oh, liebchen. If only it were that easy..."

Red Skull turned and floated further up the way, the group behind him eager to follow. The staircase led to a large dropoff. An altar. (Y/n)'s gut clenched, and she refused to look down the cliff. None of her friends would lose their lives if she had any say in it.

"What you seek lies in front of you. As does what you fear."

"The stone is down there?"

"For two of you. For the other... The Stone demands a sacrifice. In order to take it, you must leave behind that which you love. A soul for a soul."

(Y/n) watched as Clint and Nat's faces paled dramatically. Before either of them could attempt to argue, she pulled them away to talk privately.

"He's telling the truth. Thanos and Gamora came and only Thanos left. Stones are fickle. Up until five years ago, I was kept from my full potential. Neither of you are getting anywhere near that cliff. Understand me?"

"Neither are you," Clint frowned, "You have kids."

"You seem to be forgetting that you do too. They can't come back with no father," (Y/n) looked to Nat, "There's so much light in your future. To snuff it out would be devastating. I've been thinking ever since I figured out the price, and I know what to do. None of us will be dying today. I just need your trust."

The pair nodded almost instantly. Sighing in relief, (Y/n) stepped back and moved away from the altar. When she had ample room, she thrust her hands out in front of her and closed her eyes.

Like neurons in a brain, billions of realities flashed before her eyes. Realities where a different choice led to ruin or paradise. Realities where they were simply characters in movies. Realities where superpowers made up 80% of the population. The one she needed-

"Wade Wilson," she whispered, her voice slipping from her tongue like a hiss. Smoke poured from her lips, every color known and incomprehensible flashing within it. The smoke filled the area, and Clint and Nat took cautious steps back when it gathered around their feet.

_Pop!_

With an unceremonious flash, a man appeared. His face was as disturbing as Red Skull's. Donned in a magenta hoodie and jeans - and crocs that everyone chose to ignore - the man seemed terribly confused.

"Wade Wilson," (Y/n) repeated, the words much kinder and more gentle than before. Her eyes were a deep red, no trace of their natural state available, "You have been brought to this reality with great purpose. Your trust has not been earned, but it is needed. Your sacrifice will change-"

"Can you cut to the chase? I was in the middle of watching Avatar the Last Airbender. Toph just came in and she's my favorite," Wade cut in, not at all freaked out like he should be.

"Jump off the cliff," (Y/n) stated, then, after a small pause, "Please."

With a shrug, Wade turned and casually walked towards the cliff edge.

"The sacrifice must be of someone you love-" Red Skull tried to argue, but he immediately stopped talking when (Y/n) turned her gaze on him.

"I love all beings in every reality," her voice shifted again, this time sounding like many layered on top of each other. Later, Nat and Clint would theorize that it was the past Reality Stone holders coming together (Loki would reveal that there had only ever been two true holders. The Original and (Y/n)). At the moment, however, they were trying to stay calm, "I feel their pain and their joy and everything in between. I am them and I am nothing. I am love and I am hatred. Reality is me, and the Soul Stone is _mine._ "

"Well, fuck. That was badass," Wade mused, before falling backward off the cliff. There was the telltale sound of his body landing, followed by silence.

Clint, Nat, and (Y/n) simultaneously popped out of a deep pool of water. Holding out her hand, (Y/n) revealed the Soul Stone. Laughing joyously, (Y/n) held the stone close to her heart. In a weird way, Clint and Nat felt like they were intruding on something personal.

"Oh my god, that was weird!" Another body popped out of the water, "Also, God is a woman, confirmed."

"Thank you, Wade Wilson." (Y/n) snapped her fingers and the mysterious man was gone.

Leaping forward, Nat trapped (Y/n) in a tight hug. She wasn't crying, but she was close.

"None of us had to die," the smile in her voice was obvious, "All of us would have fought to see who could fall, but instead you found a way to- god, (Y/n), you're amazing."

"As are you. All of us are returning home. I promised myself that no one would die and I meant it. Now, let's get home."

But (Y/n) didn't mean Earth in the future. No, no. As she secretly adjusted the machine on her wrist, (Y/n) knew she had another stop to make. The trio exchanged another round of excited glances before they pressed the buttons on their wrists.

~*~

Asgard. (Y/n) missed it. She wished she could bring it back, and maybe one day she would. As a parting gift before she moved on to Valhalla. There'd be no Watchers to scold her for her behavior when she was dead.

She had popped into an alleyway right next to the market. The hustle and bustle of Asgard's weekly life brought a small smile to her face. Transforming into clothes more accurate for the situation, (Y/n) stepped onto the street.

Her face markings had always gotten her strange looks. Especially on Earth when they were easily mistaken for face tattoos, but (Y/n) couldn't care less. She had a destination in mind and she would get there as quickly as possible.

Taking the shortest route, it didn't take long for (Y/n) to appear in front of her childhood home. Well, the home her parents lived in before being moved to the palace. With the Soul Stone clutched tightly in one hand, (Y/n) knocked with the other.

"Heimdall, we've decided that-"

(Y/n) stared into the eyes of her father. Blinking back tears, (Y/n) gave what she hoped was a polite smile, "Hello, Father."

"What?"

"Oh, um, I'm sure this is confusing. But I'm (Y/n) from the future. I wanted to see you," (Y/n) tried to give the simplest explanation possible.

"You look just like your mother," (Y/n)'s father stepped aside to allow her into the home. (Y/n) had forgotten how accepting Asgardians were of new magic and strange experiences. The culture was drastically different than that of Earth, "The markings are the same too."

"Pretty identifiable," (Y/n) agreed, then looked into the crib in the center of the room. Looking at herself as a baby was weird, "Strange."

Her parents took seats on the couch, while (Y/n) took the chair across.

"You're visiting us because both of us will die, right?" Her mom cut straight to the point. She was always the more straightforward of the pair.

Nodding, (Y/n) looked down at the stone in her hand, "The future is hard. And I had to go through it without you two. You were there for me for so long, and then suddenly it felt like there was no one but me, Loki, and Thor."

"The two princes?" Her dad asked to clarify.

"Yeah. I married Loki, actually," reaching into her pocket, (Y/n) eagerly moved forward to show her parents the wedding photos that Darcy had taken, "I wish you could have been there. It was beautiful, and one of the best days of my life."

"And what of the children?" Her dad questioned with a bright smile, "I can see it within you. We may be first time parents, but we recognize it."

"Iona and Kari," (Y/n) switched albums to show off the girls, "The lights of our lives. Clever and beautiful. They would have loved you two."

"We would have loved them as well."

Baby (Y/n) began to fuss and (Y/n) took that as her time to leave. She wanted to spend more time with her parents, but she could always come again. They wouldn't remember her, or the conversation they had, but she would explain things to them forever if it meant seeing them once more.

"I should go. I'm on a mission."

"Of course," (Y/n)'s mom hugged her tightly first, "I'm so proud of you and everything you've accomplished. I've never been adept at magic, but I can sense the power you've gained. I love you, my darling girl."

Smiling tearfully, (Y/n) gave her father a hug that was equally as tight, "You grew up to be beautiful and smart, and we couldn't have asked for more. I'm sorry we couldn't be there for as long as any of us would have liked. But this chance means the world to us."

"I love you. Cherish every moment we have together, please. I'll see you soon," (Y/n) motioned to her baby self, "Wish me luck."

Shifting back into her mission suit, (Y/n) pressed the button that would take her back to modern times.

Everyone else arrived back at the compound at the same time she did. They all exchanged nervous glances that went to people's hands to see if they were holding a stone (or the vessel for a stone. To hold an actual stone would destroy someone). Sure enough, every group was successful.

"Are you telling me that actually worked?" Rhodey questioned.

"Oh, my gods," (Y/n) whispered, the feeling of completeness was overwhelming, and she fought not to cry again. Loki was suddenly next to her, hugging her tight, "We did it."

"We're getting them back."


	39. Family

It was a short process to place the five retrieved stones in a new version of the gauntlet. No one questioned why Thor and Loki returned without the Aether. Because of that, it was obvious who would be snapping again.

"No arguments?" (Y/n) asked as she stared down the displayed gauntlet the group was standing around.

"You're our best bet. You've been living with one of the damn things for years, and the Guardians were almost killed by _one_ of them," Rocket shrugged.

"Just be careful, darling," Loki implored.

Without further ado, (Y/n) stuck her right hand into the gauntlet. Gasping, she felt the full force of all six Infinity Stones overcome her. It was indescribable. The universe was in her hands. No. That was too detached. It was more than that. Like the days she'd return to New Asgard after a trip abroad as the ambassador. Beneath the tingling in her veins was Loki's kisses, and Thor's hugs, and her girls' laughter, and Avenger's game nights.

A family reunited.

Everyone else didn't seem to have clued into (Y/n)'s intense inner monologue. All of them seemed vaguely concerned, but besides her initial gasp, (Y/n) had shown no obvious signs of pain. If the smile on her face was anything to go by, she was ready to go.

"Okay, remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago, you're just bringing them back to today. Don't change anything from the last five years. Got it?" Tony ordered.

"Of course."

The Avengers prepared themselves for whatever was to come after the snap. Seeming ready for war, Tony activated the Barn Door Protocol, and (Y/n) looked down at the gauntlet.

_Bring them back. Reverse the wrong that you were forced to commit._

(Y/n) snapped her fingers.

It hurt. Body screaming in agony, (Y/n) fell to her knees. Loki took a step forward but Thor held him back. All that came from the gauntlet was a short blast of light. But it was enough, (Y/n) could feel it as the pain faded. A wrong was righted and things were okay again.

"Are you alright?" Loki stepped out of Thor's hold and kneeled next to his wife, "Darling, your arm."

The skin had changed, showing what seemed to be a fully healed burn scar peeking out from the edge of the gauntlet. Shuddering, (Y/n) didn't dare to think of what would have happened if someone else used it. She was The Original, but she was safer than any other being when handling the stones.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much anymore."

Clint's phone buzzed and he stepped out of the room. (Y/n) knew it was Laura. Just like she knew that across the universe, there were confused Asgardians on Orveon. With just the Reality Stone, she was always conscious of different realities and their happenings. Now, she was aware of _everything_.

So when the missile struck, she tried to raise a shield.

_"(Y/n) Odinson. Daughter of Carr and Astrid. Wife of Loki. Sister of Thor. Mother of Kari and Iona. Reality."_

_Shit._

_"The Watchers," (Y/n) bowed before the council in front of her, "Have I disrupted the balance of the multiverse?"_

_"On the contrary, you have corrected it."_

_It was hard to tell who was speaking. The Watchers didn't move their mouths so it could have been any of them. Still, (Y/n) pushed aside the potential headache in favor of releasing a sigh of relief. There were a lot of things she could do to upset the Watchers - which was why she was so careful when adjusting reality - but snapping again wasn't one of them._

_"Thanos has come to the wrong time. Eliminate him."_

_"You want me to remove him from our timeline?"_

_"And all timelines. All multiverses."_

_"Wouldn't that upset the balance even more?" (Y/n) winced as soon as the words left her mouth. She shouldn't question the Watchers._

_"His very existence is a threat to the multiverse. As Reality, it is your duty to correct this wrong."_

_"I understand. Thanos will no longer be a problem."_

_"Good. In return, we have located a multiverse in which the stones are unneeded. They are yours to keep."_

_Heart racing, (Y/n) could have jumped with joy. Another set of stones for her reality? She'd never feel the core deep emptiness that came with a lack of stones again! Of course, they'd have to be guarded. She'd protect them herself, and make sure they were to never be mishandled again. But she would get them back._

_"Thank you, Watchers. Your wisdom and generosity is undeserved."_

_"On the contrary. Universes without your existence are plagued with suffering. Return. Time has passed."_

The Avengers Compound had been destroyed. (Y/n) paid it no mind. She would rebuild it later. The battlefield was a mess, but seeing her dearly missed allies brought a smile to her face.

"Thanos!" She yelled, and things fell silent. Both sides stopped their struggle and turned their gaze to her.

Thanos stepped through the crowd, head held high and brow riddled with frustration.

"(Y/n) of Asgard. Holder of the Reality Stone," Thanos held up his weapon as if there was a fight to be had.

"Funny, that you think you could win," (Y/n) held up her gauntleted hand, a smirk on her lips, "In every reality, every timeline, you were doomed to fail. Thanos of Titan, as Reality and Guardian of the Stones, I declare that the time has come for you to pay for your crimes." Thanos opened his mouth to speak, but (Y/n) didn't give him the chance, "Whilst traversing your miserable afterlife, allow these words to remind you of what could have been and where you went wrong... never _fuck_ with the Avengers."

(Y/n) snapped for the second time.

Thanos and his army turned to dust, with Thanos going last so he could watch his empire fall. A worthy end to the terror he had caused the multiverse. (Y/n)'s body hurt again, and the scars went past her elbow now, but she could barely feel it. Overwhelming joy and relief consumed her, distracting her from any pains that might be plaguing her.

The Avengers went around to count the dead and attend to the wounded. The fight, whilst brutal, hadn't lasted long and there were few casualties. When the post-battle obligations were complete, Wanda ran to (Y/n) first, holding her tightly.

"You badass woman," she laughed tearfully, "Thank you for bringing me back to my brother. We've lost too much. Being separated again..."

"I'm five years and ten minutes older," Pietro showed up at the perfect time, providing humor to hold back his sister's tears.

"Oh shut up," Wanda smacked his arm, then her eyes widened, "(Y/n), your baby-"

"Twins. You'll love them. As soon as cleanup is over then we should have a party."

"Drinks!" Valkyrie called from behind the trio.

"I like you," Tony yelled back.

Turning to face the battlefield entirely, (Y/n) waved her hand. The fires went out, the ground repaired, and the Avenger's Compound repaired itself. Those who were injured were quickly healed, and those who couldn't be brought back were sent to the proper area to be dealt with respectfully.

"This was always the preferable ending," Stephen Strange suddenly appeared next to (Y/n), "There was another one that would end in much more death and destruction."

"You!" Loki appeared as well, a dagger in his hand.

"Loki, it's okay."

"He let me fall for thirty minutes!"

"You would have made an attempt to kill me otherwise," Strange rolled his eyes.

Despite the obvious tired and weary energy that hung over everyone, there was still an overlying feeling of excitement and happiness. With the battlefield clear and casualties taken care of, the groups could finally reunite with each other.

Hugs and tears were exchanged by nearly everyone. (Y/n) got to meet Peter Parker for the first time and she swore on her life to protect him like he was one of her own. Though, it seemed like Tony was already on that.

They'd spend the week dealing with the initial repercussions of the second snap. Press releases, recovery efforts, rehoming, and things like that. Then they'd come together again for the party of the century.

~*~

The second set of stones mysteriously appeared on (Y/n)'s nightstand two days after the final battle. The original set had been briefcased and stored in the facility to be returned after the party. (Y/n) gave the Time Stone to Stephen Strange, creating a pact with him in terms of protection and (Y/n) being able to take it at certain times. Three of the other Stones were stored and deeply protected in New Asgard. No one would _ever_ be able to get to them without (Y/n)'s express permission, and the final stone...

"Excelsior!"

"Pietro, we've been here for half an hour. How are you already drunk off Asgardian liquor?"

The celebration party was in full swing. Morgan, Clint's kids, and the twins were occupying all of Peter, Shuri, and Harley Keener's attention. The Guardians were in the middle of a dance-off with Rhodey, Sam, and Scott Lang. Tony, Thor, Valkyrie, and Pietro were ready to drink themselves under the table. Carol, Nebula, Pepper, May Parker, and Nat were chatting peacefully by the lake. Strange and Loki were - surprisingly - calmly discussing modern applications for different forms of magic. T'Challa and Okoye were chatting with Hank and Hope Pym. Steve and Bucky were in the corner, exchanging quiet words and small smiles. Wanda was frowning at her brother, but (Y/n) grabbed her elbow and pulled her away.

"I have a surprise for you," (Y/n) beamed, practically bursting with excitement.

"What could be better than all this?" Wanda questioned, motioning to the happy scene surrounding them.

Holding out her hand, (Y/n) revealed the orange stone resting in it. The Mind Stone. The source of Wanda and Pietro's powers, but more than that, what once powered Vision.

"Don't tell me-"

Letting the stone fall from her hand, (Y/n) waved her hand before the stone could hit the ground. A body formed from nothing. (Y/n) was breaking no rules by creating Vision again. He was never technically "real" in the first place. Reforming him and inputting his memories was nothing.

"Wanda."

"Vis!"

The couple embraced, and (Y/n) stepped them away to give them some time alone. She could tell them later that (Y/n) adjusted Vision's body so he could live without the Mind Stone.

Passing by the kids - Kari had just bluntly pointed out that Shuri and Peter weren't straight, and Harley was laughing his ass off at their reactions - (Y/n) sat down in the last empty seat by the lake. Nat picked up a glass of wine and offered it to her.

"How about all of us go on a vacation? Call it a girls trip or something," (Y/n) offered, taking a sip of the wine. She wouldn't get drunk off it, but it had a nice taste.

"What's a vacation?" Nebula asked.

"Who knows. I haven't had one in ten years," Pepper grumbled.

"Then let's go! We can find a planet, or I can create a pocket dimension and just put everything we need inside."

"Think we can leave the universal security to the men for a long weekend?" Carol raised a brow.

Shrugging, May Parker seemed ecstatic about the idea, "What threats are there, anymore? I've been so stressed setting up the new control office for the charity, and all of you look like you have never _seen_ a tropical destination."

A murmur of agreements went around the circle, plans already being made for a planet Carol had visited a few years back. They'd inform the other women at the end of the party when they were done with their own conversations.

"Speaking of vacations, did you and Loki ever have a honeymoon?" Pepper questioned.

Opening her mouth to answer, (Y/n) realized she didn't have a good one, "We stayed on Alfheim for two days together. Then he had to return to Asgard to continue posing as Odin, and I had to help Thor search for the other stones..."

"So you get two vacations then," Nat decided for the couple, "Maybe you can get started on baby number three."

"Natasha!" (Y/n) reached over to smack her friend's arm.

"It's a good time for it! You practically saved the universe twice and all you got in return was some scars."

"It would be well deserved," Nebula agreed.

"Go on a vacation with us, then plan something with Loki. Any one of the Avengers would be happy to watch the girls. Unless Morgan calls dibs first."

Nat subtly motioned to Steve and Bucky, "Your second honeymoon won't be the only one we're planning. You know what they're talking about? How gay marriage was legalized ten years ago. After Steve finishes returning the stones..."

"Oh, that'll be such a cute wedding!"

Eyes traveling to her husband, (Y/n) couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto her face. Another honeymoon, huh?

"Mom, come here!" Iona and Kari sprinted over, each grabbing one of (Y/n)'s hands, "Come on! Hurry!"

"Okay, okay, slow down!"

The girls pulled her away from the other women, past the table piled high with food, and towards the other kids who looked like they were playing a game.

"What's going on?" (Y/n) asked Shuri when the twins abruptly let go of her and fell into lines with the other young ones.

"Next-generation training," Peter explained shortly, "They wanted one of the original Avengers to call them to action."

"Oh really?" (Y/n) raised an amused brow, "Well then... Avengers Assemble!"

The kids fell into action poses, stirring laughs from all around the party as the adults found their attention drawn to the commotion the children had caused. Loki's eyes met (Y/n)'s, and she'd never seen them so full of life and love.

 _Family_ , (Y/n) mused, finally putting a word to the large group around her, _We've all found a family._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! I have a couple of fun facts about this book to share, and then I'll be saying goodbye!
> 
> \- I hadn't seen Thor: The Dark World while making the concepts for this book so finding out how big of a role the Reality Stone had in that movie made me 180 my original plans
> 
> \- I make it a goal of mine to fit Deadpool into every Marvel book of mine, and writing the Endgame storyline presented the perfect way to do it
> 
> \- Figuring out what to do with Loki in Infinity War was extremely difficult. In the end I had three options. Kill him still, send him away (what I chose), or fit him into the movie as a main character
> 
> \- I created this book before Mutant and Proud, but published it after
> 
> \- I totally called Loki being influenced by the scepter before Marvel announced it and all of you are witnesses to that fact
> 
> \- Loki is actually really hard to write because his character is so fluid between personalities/good-bad
> 
> \- Gender fluid Loki should have made an appearance. It's not a fun fact. It's just a regret that I'll go back and fix when I revise this story. Because (Y/n) in this book was totally not straight and she would have loved Loki no matter what.
> 
> \- Originally, it was just Darcy and Sif as (Y/n)'s bridesmaids in her wedding, but I added Nat in because they bonded so well in Avengers
> 
> \- Both Wanda and Pietro liked (Y/n) at some point before they found out she was married. Wanda because she was so kind and went out of her way to help her, and Pietro because he loved her sass and ability to hold her own
> 
> \- Orveon had an easter egg in this book. Did you find it? 
> 
> \- I really wanted to make the final battle bigger, but it didn't make sense to do so. (Y/n) really easily controlled all the stones compared to everyone else, and it wouldn't make sense to stretch it out when she could bend the universe to her will.
> 
> Right, so first off- thank you all so so much for reading, leaving kudos, and leaving comments. You have no idea how much I appreciate every single one of you. This story has been so much fun to write and it was even more fun to share it.
> 
> If you like my writing style and want more, feel free to check out my other works! 
> 
> Again, thank you so much! I'll see you next time. Bye!
> 
> ~Lydia

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Loki is one of my favorite MCU characters, and I loved the concept of having a character who's extremely OP but still has flaws/weaknesses?? Because that totally makes sense (I promise it will). 
> 
> This story will be undergoing editing at some point (I'm bringing this over from my Wattpad pre-written), but as of right now I still think it's good enough to be published.
> 
> I love hearing from you guys. Feel free to leave some kudos or a comment, it always makes my day!


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